An Assassin's Second Chance
by ZuttoAragi
Summary: A second chance. The most valuable thing in the world that can affect many. And when it's offered by one of the most dangerous beings alive, it will affect all.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

 **Greetings and salutations to all my readers! I come to you with yet another reboot/new story, part of both. The title of this one, as I am sure you saw, is An Assassin's Second Chance, a crossover of Akame ga Kill and Brave Frontier (Kinda). Really the story's main focus is AGK, and the only BF character is the main character, Sergio. Now, to explain things, the Legends of Chaos series, which starred Kazuma Soryu, is gone. Those stories will instead be integrated and neatened up into this new version of the series, which is also being fused with Miasma Saga, both series receiving a fresh new start, with ASC serving as the jump start to the whole thing. So like in Fairy Tail's Demon King the main character is Sergio, and everything revealed about him in that story is still mostly true in this version combined with Kazuma's history. As always, Bakuto Masaki is along for the journey with me as my coauthor. Is anyone surprised? Anyway, my rambling done, time to start the story. Here we go!**

* * *

A man with long, dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, and wearing a black outfit with a long blue coat sat in a chair within a small clinic, looking over several papers, when the door to his office opened. He glanced over and saw a young woman with long black hair, dark red eyes, and form-fitting clothing with a pleated skirt, armor along the sides, and a long red sword. He blinked curiously at the young beauty. "Can I help you?"

"Are you a doctor?" she asked calmly, though he could see the tiredness in her eyes.

"I am one part-time. Why? You have a name?"

"Akame. I need your help."

"Right. You can call me Sergio. So, what do you need, beautiful?"

Akame responded by beginning to unbutton her top.

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down beautiful! I don't have sex with woman I just met!" After a moment of thought he put a hand on his chin. "Though when they rape me I guess that's different."

Akame tilted her head to the side as she pulled her top open, showing a large series of dark-colored runes covering her upper torso. "Is that what it takes to rid this curse?"

Sergio frowned and then sighed deeply. "… No. I thought you were trying to have sex with me when you were removing your clothes."

She blinked in thought before continuing. "I see. These runes are –"

"You're not even going to respond to that?" he interrupted.

"Respond to what?"

His face went flat in disbelief. "… Nothing. Continue."

She nodded in understanding. "These runes are a representation of the curse I bear."

Sergio looked them over and then nodded. "I see. Come back here with me."

* * *

Shortly, the two walked into one of the building's private rooms as Sergio looked Akame, now fully disrobed from the waist up, over in thought before sighing. "Let me guess… The curse grants you immortality, incredible power, and unending pain. And the thing that cursed you is a sword."

She blinked in surprise and nodded. "Yes. Precisely."

Sergio rolled up one of his sleeves as a softly glowing black mark appeared. "Join the club. Because I'm immortal to. And also the bastard that made the sword."

Akame looked at him in surprise, then the sword, then him again. "You're the First Emperor?"

Sergio raised an eyebrow and then shrugged as he sat down. "I guess you could say that, beautiful. So, unfortunately, I can't get rid of that curse. After all, every attempt I've made has resulted in failure. Especially your sword. It ended up the biggest one."

"I see…" she mumbled in despair.

"Yeah… Thought if I was able to remove the curse from my body and into an object, I would be free from it. After shoving a spike into my skull after doing so, I discovered I accomplished nothing except make another weapon that was supposed to, but failed, to kill me."

Akame's shoulders slumped as she lowered her head.

"So… how long have you been alive?"

"After I was cursed it has been roughly one hundred years."

"So, a hundred years of loneliness huh? Most painful thing anyone can experience. Drives most insane."

"I was raised to handle such things. Even the pain is something I don't worry about anymore."

Sergio frowned with concern as he looked the girl over. "I see… Do you wish to continue being alone?"

Akame finally raised her head with a shake and answered, "My only goal is to rid the curse and leave this world behind."

"Unfortunately, that is not going to happen I'm afraid."

Akame's soft lips curled subtly before she looked down for several moments. "I see. Then… I suppose my goal is to find a purpose."

Sergio chuckled lightly as he sat straight. "Ah. So, you're one of those types huh?"

"Pardon?"

"Nothing kid. But if you want a purpose I can give you one. One where you're never alone again."

"What is it?"

"Live with me and become my assistant."

"So be it," she answered plainly.

Sergio frowned slightly at her lack of resistance before sighing with a shrug. "Good. Wouldn't be right for a girl like you to suffer in loneliness and sadness, right?"

"If that's how you see it."

Sergio's frown deepened. "Let me guess… You don't think you deserve happiness. Failed friends I take it? Family? Lover?"

Akame shook her head in denial. "I've never had a lover. Only my sister. I never had friends, comrades perhaps."

Sergio sighed and folded his arms. "I see… Did you care for your comrades and they you?"

"I did, though I tried not to. Getting too attached made their deaths difficult. Whether they cared for me or not I'm uncertain."

"I bet they did. And you seek death hoping to meet them again in the afterlife. Don't you?"

Again, she denied him. "I don't believe such a thing exists, I merely have no purpose beyond ridding this curse."

"And why is that other then so you can rejoin them and your sister? Or do you fear that they'll hate you?" He noticed her muscles tense silently. "Tell me… if you could go to another world where they are all alive… would you?"

Her eyes widened slightly with surprise before her composure almost immediately returned. "I…"

"Would go through and save them. Wouldn't you?"

She contemplated for several moments. "That may only lead them to more suffering."

" _Or_ you to saving them."

Yet again, she was silent.

"If you want, I could lead you to a dimension that they are all still alive. You just need to kill that dimension's you first so nothing bad happens."

She looked at him incredulously before deciding to humor his recommendation. "I see."

"So, what will you do?"

Akame sighed and then stood up, putting her top back on and turning to leave.

He put a hand on her shoulder before she left. "And where are you going?"

She shrugged his hand off. "I am going to continue my search."

"No. You aren't, you're staying here. After all, it's pointless to do so."

"It would be equally pointless to stay here doing nothing."

Sergio sighed heavily. "So, you just want to stop living? Letting the memory of those you cared for be forever lost?"

Her fingers curled tightly into a fist. "… The memories make it worse."

"The memories make you know they were real. And that they cared. Trust a guy that knows." Without another word, he put his arms around her slim shoulders gently. "Okay? Besides, with me you'll never be alone. And I will make sure you don't suffer anymore."

She remained silent and unmoving.

"Now… You hungry? Because, I am. And you look like the kind of woman that eats a lot of meat." He chuckled lightly as he noticed a lock of her on her forehead perk up. "Let's go to the dining room then. After all, don't want you to starve."

"That would be impossible," she retorted bluntly as she followed behind him.

As they walked, Sergio changed the subject. "So Akame… what where your friends like?"

She glanced at him in confusion.

"Your friends from back when you were mortal. What were they like? Seeing as how you're determined to find a way back to them through death."

Akame raised an eyebrow but began thinking deeply. "They were… all different. Leone was kind, if blunt. She loved to tease Tatsumi."

"So, a flirty big sis?"

"Yes, I suppose. She also wielded Lionel."

"Lionel?"

"An Imperial Arm that gave her the abilities of a lion."

"Ah. That's the Nekoization Belt. I designed it to allow women to become Nekomata."

"Nekomata? Ah, you must mean those half-human half-cat creatures."

"The proper name is Youkai."

"I see."

"Right, who else was in this group of friends of yours?"

"There was Mein, she used Pumpkin. She was… temperamental, and easy to embarrass. She died after a battle with one of the Generals."

"So a Tsundere wielding that old multipurpose rifle."

Akame tilted her head curiously. "I suppose. Then there was Sheele."

He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Sheele?"

"She was a kind woman. She wielded the giant scissors, Extase. She was rather clumsy but always did her best to help."

"I see. Interesting. Though why people keep changing the names I give my weapons is beyond me."

"Oh? What did you name Extase?"

"Grand Snippers," he declared proudly.

Akame merely flattened her brow silently.

"What? They were large, unbreakable scissors that could snip through anything."

"After her was Najenda, or Boss, Night Raid's leader," she answered, ignoring his comment.

"Ah. Good to know."

"For a while I didn't know what her Imperial Arm was, I had always thought it was her mechanical arm."

"I never made an Automail weapon. I don't think."

"I see. Her weapon was one of our replacement members, Susanowo."

Sergio stiffened and paled before raising a hand. "… In my defense, I was drunk and high from a mixture of Moonlight and Moonsugar when I made that… thing."

Akame trembled slightly with a held snicker at his expression.

Sergio smiled in return. "Huh, so you _can_ laugh."

Akame stiffened and looked away from him. "I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"I did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did not."

"Did t –" Akame stopped herself before answering, twitched an eyebrow, and then stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

Sergio snickered lightly. "See? You're enjoying this."

"That's… not impossible…"

"Right. So, anyone else?"

Akame, with a minute smile on her lips, nodded and continued. "Lubbock, he was –"

"Not interesting."

"… I see. Bulat was –"

"Male. Next."

Akame looked at him suspiciously but shrugged. "After Sheele's death, Chelsea arrived to replace her."

Sergio frowned slightly as he listened. "Oh?"

"She was… different. Her Imperial Arm was Gaia Foundation, allowing her to change her appearance entirely, even her size."

Twitching an eyebrow, he added, "… That's not what I named it."

"I figured."

"Yeah. I named it the Doppelganger Powdercase."

Akame flattened her brow at him. Sighing, she redirected the conversation. "There was also Tatsumi, he was the last man of the group by the end before he died in combat with the Empire's strongest weapon. He wielded Incursio after Bulat's death. He was kind, warm, passionate, and strong."

Sergio gave a small smile. "Sounds like you were in love with him."

Akame furrowed her brow in thought. "… I don't know. Love is something I never experienced."

"I see… what would you do if you could go back? Back to the day you first met him?"

"I would tell him not to join Night Raid and return to his village," she answered immediately.

"And the rest of your comrades?"

She shook her head in response. "Many of them were in Night Raid before I had joined."

"I mean what would you do. Would you save them? Or let history keep its course and let them die?"

"If I saved them they would still die later."

Sergio nodded but argued, "But you'd have them for longer. Especially if they fully bond with those weapons."

"I see."

Sergio sighed and scratched his head in frustration. "You're pretty tough to read. You clearly do love your friends when you talk about them, but don't want to save them from their fate. Do you fear that you'll fail to save them?"

"There is very little I can do."

"Only if you think like that. After all, you have power now. And those with power can do many things. And you have knowledge. And those with knowledge know what to do to make the best changes."

"May I ask what your point is?" she retorted with growing frustration.

"The point is that you will basically give up when you go back after telling the one you love to go back home. Sounds to me like you wouldn't care if all your friends were slain before your very eyes. Even when you can stop it easily now."

"We were Night Raid, our mission was to overthrow the Empire, death was inevitable."

"Only if you give up. So, what's to say all your friends couldn't if you ensured it?"

Akame sighed as she sat on a nearby chair. "If I agree with you will this conversation end?"

Sergio shrugged with a small smirk. "If you agree to go back? Yes."

She narrowed her eyes incredulously. "You speak as if such things are possible."

"You're immortal from stabbing yourself in the heart with a cursed blade, your love interest turned into a dragon, and you're conversing with a fellow immortal. And you're thinking time travel is beyond the realm of reason?"

"Yes," she answered bluntly.

"Then you're a fool."

"Perhaps."

"Because it is possible."

"I see." After a moment of consideration, she frowned in thought. "Why?"

Smiling, he replied. "Because you deserve happiness. And to ensure it I will go back with you. After all, you're a fellow immortal. I'm not going to let you go alone. And I'll ensure your friends no, your family survives."

"I see…" she muttered in suspicious confusion.

"So, Akame," he paused as he pulled a large black orb from his pocket, its surface blacker than the clearest night with glittering specs dotting its surface and infinitely within, "ready to save them all? You'll only get one shot at it."

"What is that?" she asked as she looked at the object.

"Answer my question first."

Akame stared at the object in deep thought, considering all of the possible results of agreeing, both fantastical and realistic. Deciding she had more to gain than to lose, even if it was all a lie, she gave her answer. "Yes."

Sergio nodded with a smile. "Good. And to answer your question, this is a gift I got from a Goddess long ago after I killed a God. Good for only one use but it will send us back."

"I see." She then looked at him with total confusion and doubt. "Then why use it on me? We just met."

He shrugged softly. "Because I've never really had a use for it before. But, now I do. To ensure the happiness of another."

"I see…"

"Now, place your hand on it and think back to the time when you first met Tatsumi. I'll handle the rest."

Akame nodded and then put her hand on the object, thinking to a time when she and her comrades raided a large mansion, the time when she met her friend Tatsumi, and within the blink of an eye they were no longer in Sergio's practice.

Sergio looked around as they stood atop a massive mansion within a moderate forest, obviously the absurdly-sized property of the owners. "Hmm… how interesting. So what were you all here for?"

Akame looked around in disbelief.

"Akame? Akame, I need you to focus."

She stiffened and shook her head before looking at him. "Y – Yes?"

"For now, focus. We can reunite with your friends later. Tell me, why were you here?"

"The family that owns this mansion have a practice of taking in lost travelers, the homeless, or anyone they see as a suitable victim, and subject them to the deepest recesses of cruelty before killing them."

"Right. So I've got my job." He glanced down and saw a group of people, one of which was a second Akame, heading towards the mansion. "Time to get started."

"What do we do now?"

"Simple. When they split up you take out the past you and then replace her. While I go loot the mansion and ensure your friend goes home."

She motioned to a large barn on the edge of the property. "He also has friends in that shed. Though at this time, it's unlikely they're still alive."

"Ah." In a flurry of light, a second Sergio appeared and raced towards the shed, shocking Akame. "Then I've got two jobs to do. Now, go kill the other you while I deal with this."

Akame frowned in confusion but nodded before disappearing.

* * *

Sergio walked through the darkened mansion, taking just about anything that looked valuable and stuffing it into his coat, knocking out any guards he came across, and moving towards the building's central room. As he approached, he looked inside and saw a young man with short, messy brown hair, an old man, a woman with long, dark blonde hair, and a girl with short, bright blonde hair all sitting around a table chatting and eating. He then decided to have some fun and knocked on the door.

The boy blinked in confusion. "One of the servants, Aria?"

The girl, Aria, nodded before standing. "Just wait here, Tatsumi." Walking up to the door she asked loudly, "Yes? Have you brought our meal?"

Suddenly, the door blasted open and was sent shattering in splinters through the room. Sergio, a cold scowl on his face, declared, "No, I've come for mine. After all, corrupt souls are so tasty."

Tatsumi instantly stood up and drew his sword.

Sergio waved a hand dismissively at the teen. "Stand down, boy, you've no reason to defend bottom-feeders."

The older woman stood with indignation. "You watch your tone, you brigand. And how'd you even get in here?! Guards!"

Sergio snickered as his shadow expanded before long, sharp, black tendrils covered in eyes and mouths appeared around him. "No guards will save your wretched souls."

The old man growled before standing. "Alright, that's enough out of you! What do you want? If you just want to talk then –!"

He was cut off as one of the black tendrils lashed out and slashed the man's jaw off. "Oh shut up. I said I'm sending you three to hell and that's that. I don't need you bitching about it."

"Why are you doing this?!" Tatsumi hollered angrily.

Sergio sighed in exasperation. "Boy, leave or I'll make you as I send these last two wretches to hell for their crimes."

"What crimes?! They're just trying to –!"

"Kill you," he interrupted.

At that moment, the second Sergio appeared from a swirling vortex in the wall, carrying the bodies of a young man and a young woman with long black hair.

"Like they did your friends."

Aria's face went pale in fear. "H – He's lying! H – He did that to them!"

Tatsumi turned in disbelief and saw the bodies, withered and desiccated, almost unrecognizable. "No… Ieyasu… Sayo… You bastard!" Tatsumi screamed before lunging at the other Sergio.

"Ah crap," Sergio groaned before swiftly intercepting Tatsumi. 'Really _need to think these things out better… Oh well, plan B._ ' Suddenly, his blue eyes shifted to red with three black marks around the pupil. ' _Mindwipe the fuck out of him and have him go home._ '

Tatsumi stiffened before collapsing, Sergio catching him and setting him on the floor before turning to Aria and her mother. "Right, now to deal with you two."

"A – Aria, run!" the woman exclaimed, the girl immediately fleeing out the destroyed door.

"Guess she'll die tired," Sergio shrugged before looking at his copy, his eyes shifting once more to red with a series of black streaks curling out from the center before a swirling vortex appeared, the second Sergio, Tatsumi, and the bodies of his friends disappearing into it. He then turned his attention to Aria's mother, who stood still with a large knife in her hand. "Right, I'll deal with you first." He snapped his fingers before a black portal appeared behind her.

She screamed in horror as huge, grotesque, purple worm emerged from within. "Wh – What are y –?" she asked in horror before a tentacle emerged from its maw and forced itself into her mouth, silencing her.

"Now, be sure to play nice," Sergio taunted as more tentacles emerged from the beast, pulling her into its maw entirely. "I'd do it myself but I don't want my tentacles to rot off." Smiling pleasantly as she disappeared into its mouth, he added, "So be sure to bloat 'til you blow." After it had fully swallowed her the beast disappeared back into the portal before Sergio left the room and began looking for Aria.

* * *

Aria gasped as she sprinted through the house before stopping cold as she saw the other Akame strike down two of her guards before turning towards her. She turned to flee but paled when she noticed Akame approaching her.

Akame immediately rushed past Aria and grabbed the other Akame from behind and slashed at her throat with her blade.

The other Akame's eyes went wide in disbelief as glowing symbols spread over her body before she went limp.

Akame sighed weakly. "Forgive me. But this is the only way we can save them." She then dragged her other self's body into the shadows.

"Wh – What the…?" Aria stumbled back in disbelief before turning to run away, only to be confronted by a smiling Sergio.

Sergio's smile turned wicked as he put a hand on Aria's head. "Hey there! Ready to die?" Hoisting her into the air, his hand began to glow. "Here, it's called Cruel Empathy."

"Wh – Wha –?" Aria stammered before her eyes went cold and she shrieked in agony.

"It's the pain of everyone you've ever hurt in one moment. The more you've hurt the worse it is."

Aria's body trembled and twitched for several seconds before going limp.

"Guess she couldn't take it." He moved his hand aside as two shadows and looked into her eyes, completely devoid of activity. "Yep. Her mind is completely blank. Hmm…" Another vortex opened before he tossed her corpse in. "Guess I can always find a pure soul to inhabit it."

Akame appeared from the shadows wearing the clothing of the other Akame, the chest of the blouse bulging slight as she tugged at it uncomfortably. "These are tighter than I remember…"

Sergio chuckled lightly. "Well your bust has obviously grown since then. So, where you put your body?"

Akame pointed to a group of dogs gathered around something nearby.

Sergio frowned sadly. "You really don't care about yourself, do you?" Sighing he scratched his head in frustration. "You at least deserved a proper burial instead of that."

"How it's disposed of changes nothing."

"She, not it. You are human after all. Or, the you, you killed was. A young woman who kills for those she cares for. Ah, forget it. So, when do your fri –?" he asked before being cut off as a pair of giant scissors decapitated him.

A beautiful young woman with long purple hair, matching violet eyes, plain glasses, and a form-fitting eastern dress, which gripped tightly around her bulging cleavage, blinked in surprise as she noticed Akame. "Akame?"

Akame attempted to hide her excitement behind a simple smile. "Sheele…"

"That was seriously rude!" Sergio, his head rolling on the floor, shouted. "I was in the middle of a conversation you know!"

Sheele blinked in confusion as his body stumbled forward towards his head. "That's an odd ability," she remarked calmly before raising her weapon, Extase.

Sergio twitched an eyebrow. "Drop Grand Scissors and help me get back on my body, Beautiful. Before my body hurts you and makes Akame cry."

Sheele blinked before Akame put Sergio's head back on his body. "He's a friend."

Sergio flexed his neck and groaned as the wound sealed with crackles of red electricity. "Thank you Akame. Now, who's your beautiful purplette friend here?"

"Sheele."

Sheele looked at Sergio in thought. "Who's this?"

Sergio smirked and bowed to the bespectacled beauty. "Sergio Kresnik. An old friend of Akame's."

Sheele tilted her head in confusion. "I thought all of her old comrades were dead."

Sergio waved a finger in denial. "Not comrade, friend. Think of me as someone that helped her find her path after an incident."

"Hm… I see.

"Yep. So, why are you girls here?" he asked before ducking a humanoid hand clad in golden fur with large claws swiped at him.

"To kill the family here," Akame explained, though he already knew that.

Sergio answered calmly as he continued ducking and bending around more strikes. "Ah. What a coincidence. Me too. In fact, the last member should have her belly explode violently any minute now. Also, who's the pussy cat that's clawing at me?"

"Stand still dammit!" a young woman with long, wild blonde hair, a simple tube top around her generous bosom, and scant clothing otherwise, with feline ears atop her head, a cat-like tail just above her round ass, and her hands covered in fur, growled as she swiped at him.

"Leone," Akame answered plainly.

Sergio chuckled as he continued dodging. "Ah. Well she's certainly a feisty feline." He twisted around another of her strikes to behind her, grabbed the hefty belt around her waist, and deftly pulled it off, her feline features vanishing and her hair growing shorter.

"H – Hey!" Leone sputtered in disbelief.

Sergio chuckled lightly as he twirled the belt around his hand. "Yes, Beautiful?"

"How…?"

"Skill," Akame interjected.

Leone glanced at Akame and then noticed her bust, which was significantly larger than that of the other Akame. "What…?"

"My bindings snapped," she answered swiftly.

"Oh…" Leone mumbled, too confused and surprised to have many arguments.

"Now, if that is all I'm going to go see if that bitch has popped and then loot the rest of the place," Sergio noted.

"Hey, give me back Lionel!" Leone shouted, snapping back to the moment.

"Sure," he said as he walked past her, slipping it easily around her waist. "Though you look just as beautiful without the Neko features as with."

Leone blinked in confusion, raised an eyebrow, and then smirked as Sergio walked away. "I like him."

Akame then ran up to Sergio without another word to Leone.

"Akame?" Sergio commented in surprise.

"Tatsumi?" she asked with concern.

He nodded with a smile and patted her head softly. "Out of the city and on his way home. No memory of anything here. I'll have my Thought Projection try to revive his friends. At aby rate is there anyone else I sho –?" he began to ask before a beam of energy shot through his head. "Oh come on!"

"Mein."

Sergio grumbled as the hole in his head sealed. "I figured! The damn beam shot cued me in! Fuck! Can I loot this place _without_ something ramming into me?!"

Mein, a slightly short, petite girl with long, bright pink hair tied in twintails holding a large rifle, walked up to the group, looking at Sergio in annoyance. "Akame? What're you doing with this creep?"

"He's a friend," Akame answered plainly.

"I see…"

"Oh? And who's this handsome man?" a tall, extremely muscular man with green armor and a heart-shaped pompadour questioned.

Sergio leapt up to the ceiling in fear. "Sweet Maxwell! What the hell is that?!"

Akame plainly answered, "Bulat, he likes men."

Bulat laughed lightly. "Oh, come on, don't make it sound so bad."

Sergio twitched an eyebrow. "Well you're not denying it! And I like women just so you know! Women like Akame, Sheele Leone and Mein!"

Bulat nodded with a chuckle. "I figured, that's fine."

Mein's face turned bright red as she shot at Sergio, knocking him back to the ground. "H – Hah!?"

Sergio grumbled as he stood up with yet another hole in his head that sealed up quickly. "Ow! Why you shoot me in the face?! Oh right, Tsundere. Forgot tha –" he remarked before stopping when he heard a loud pop followed by a splash.

Mein cringed in disgust at the sound. "Ew, what was that?"

"The mother of the family belly exploding from being filled 'til she burst."

Leone sniffed the air before frowning. "What's that stench…?"

"The stuff that was forced in to her until she popped."

Leone frowned in disgust. "… If she wasn't an evil bitch I'd kill you right now."

Sergio huffed. "I only allow that to happen _to_ evil. I'm quite creative when it comes to killing wretched and despicable beings. So don't worry, I would never force that upon someone undeserving, or unwilling should that be the case."

"Right…" Leone muttered unsurely.

Sergio folded his arms curiously. "So… now what?"

"Well, you know who we are, so you have two choices –"

"Come with you or die, right?" he interrupted, causing Leone to twitch an eyebrow in irritation.

A young man with green hair and red gloves walked up to the group with a groan. "Geez, you guys always leave me out of the – who's this weirdo?" he sputtered when he noticed Sergio.

"Who's the perverted nerd?"

"Hey! I'm not a nerd!"

" _That's_ the part you object to?" Mein rebuffed bluntly.

"Lubbock," Akame explained simply.

Sergio nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, Akame-Chan."

Lubbock stiffened with indignation. "Ch – Chan!? Hey! You can't be so formal with them all of a sudden!"

"Akame and I are friends. Besides, she doesn't mind at all."

Leone tilted her head curiously. "Friends? How come we've never met this friend of yours?"

Sergio answered deftly, "I live far away. I only recently decided to take a trip here. And due to my need for money I decided to scout around and see who was wealthy as well as a complete menace, and take them out while filling my pockets."

"So, you're a petty thief," Mein commented bluntly.

Sergio huff. "Petty? Please. I am a Master Thief, Master Assassin, unparalleled Doctor, and many other things."

Leone frowned in confusion. "If you're really such a great doctor and assassin, would you really need to go around nicking rich people's stuff?"

"Nope. Just love hoarding shiny things. Besides, most of my patients I tend not to charge."

"So you're an idiot."

"So if you became infertile you'd rather pay me to fix the damage to your womb instead of doing it for free?"

Leone stiffened in realization.

Mein frowned in frustration. "You've got a really creepy way of thinking."

Sergio shook his head in denial. "I just have clear view of the way the world works. Besides, there are enough disgusting, rich people that I get along fine. So, let's get going!"

"R – Right…" Leone stumbled.

"He seems like fun," Sheele stated with a smile.

* * *

Sergio looked around the entrance to a large cave inside of a cliff within a deep forest. "Hmm… nice base entrance."

Mein frowned in confusion. "You know, most people would be more worried about going with a group of assassins."

"You haven't shown me hostility and all of you together couldn't take me, so I'm not worried. Besides, I've been in the company of things more dangerous than you, Cutie."

Mein gained a tic mark on her head angrily and snarled at him. "Why you…!"

"Cute," Sergio chuckled.

As the group approached the entry, Leone remarked, "Well this is Night Raid's base."

Sergio remained silent for a moment before snickering. "… Night Raid? Who came up with that kinda name? Panty Raid already taken?"

"Probably," Leone answered with a smirk.

Sergio smiled as he noticed a small smile on Akame's face before turning to Leone. "Thought as much. So, who will I room with? Akame? You? Sheele and Mein?"

Mein responded instantly by shooting him in the chest. "Stay away from Sheele."

"Oh? She your lover I assume?"

Mein stiffened as her face turned bright red before she fired over and over after which she walked away angrily.

Sergio raised an eyebrow as the holes in his body closed. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Lubbock gaped in disbelief. "Is no one going to address the fact that Mein just shot him eight times and he's fine?"

Leone shrugged deeply in defeat. "With all the weird shit he's done so far I've stopped questioning it."

Sergio nodded in agreement. "Sheele took my head off when we first met."

Sheele nodded. "And Akame just put it back on like it was nothing."

Lubbock's jaw fell. "How come you never mentioned you knew someone who can't die?"

"I didn't think it was worth mentioning," Akame commented plainly.

Lubbock remained silent in disbelief.

"Well I'm certainly not complaining," Bulat added with a smile.

"Can it fop," Sergio snapped.

Akame frowned slightly before tapping Sergio's shoulder, causing him to lean down to her. "He's not bad, he won't try anything," she whispered. "He's a good friend."

"Right…"

Akame pouted in worry. "Please, don't be rude to him."

Sergio sighed in defeat. "Fine, I won't."

"Let's head inside," Leone urged.

* * *

Soon they entered what appeared to be a grand mausoleum.

"It's big," Sergio commented before glancing at Akame, noticing a small, nostalgic smile. "So… where do we go next?"

"You should pick your room," Leone answered.

Sergio nodded in understanding. "Okay. You or Akame willin' to share?" Before she could respond, Akame grabbed his arm. "Akame it is."

"Wow…" Leone noted in shock, Lubbock grinding his teeth with rage.

Sheele blinked in surprise.

* * *

Sergio stood behind Akame as the two entered what was her old room, Akame smiling warmly as she looked around.

"Well, you're happy," Sergio commented with a smile.

Akame stiffened slightly before retorting, "I'm only here to rescue them."

Sergio sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Doesn't mean you can't enjoy your second chance."

"… I see. Tatsumi's room is next door, between my room and Sheele's."

Sergio nodded in comprehension. "Guess that will be mine then. Have a good night's sleep, Beautiful. And if you need me come right in."

Akame nodded as he left.

* * *

The next morning, as Sergio left his room, he saw Leone walking up to him. "Yo, Sergy!"

"Hmm? What's up beautiful?" Sergio asked as she walked up to him.

"Have you met everyone yet?"

"I saw them but I didn't –" he began before she interrupted him.

"Perfect! Follow me!"

"Okay?" he answered in mild surprise, following her.

"This is the dining hall."

"Nice."

Mein sat silently at the extremely long table, eating vegetables as she looked at Sergio suspiciously.

"Hey cutie. How was your night?"

She merely hissed at him.

Sergio laughed lightly as he turned to Leone. "I get the feeling she doesn't like me."

Leone shrugged and replied, "She doesn't like most guys."

"Ah. She prefers Sheele eating her out, huh?"

"Yep!" Leone answered with a snicker, causing Mein to spit her food in surprise and annoyance.

"Shaddup!"

Sergio grinned with amusement. "Gotta love Tsuns. So, how is she in bed?"

"Ask Sheele," Leone rebutted.

"I said shut it!" Mein hissed, her face turning increasingly red.

"I was asking Mein how Sheele is," Sergio corrected, resulting in Mein throwing a plate at him, though he didn't react as it shattered on his face.

"Go to hell!"

"Been there. It's cold this time of year."

Mein grumbled angrily. "Why are you such a pain in the ass?!"

"Because if I wasn't I'd be bored not seeing your cute reactions. So, vegetarian huh?"

"No, I just haven't had any in a – hey!" she began to say before snapping.

"What?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"Why? I thought the other one was over. So, you eat veggies when your girlfriend isn't pleasing you?"

Mein ignored him as she walked into the kitchen to prepare more food.

"If you want I can cook. Or talk to your girlfriend if something's wrong."

"I said shut up," she snapped coldly.

Sergio frowned suspiciously. "Okay…"

"L – Let's move on," Leone urged uneasily.

"Right…"

* * *

Following on from that, Leone showed Sergio to a wide-open area behind the main building, where Bulat stood lifting immense dumbbells, dropping them with a rumble.

"This is the backyard training area."

"Right," Sergio remarked as he looked around.

Bulat smiled as he walked towards the two, stopping partway. "Nice to meet you again. Though I'll keep my distance this time."

"Much appreciated, Bulat."

Leone laughed weakly before pointing away. "Right, moving on!"

* * *

Leone next took him to a secluded area with a warm spring. "These are the hot springs. Hm?" she hummed as she noticed Lubbock crawling along the ground in the bushes towards the spring.

"Almost… there…" he strained as he tried to quietly approach the springs, shrieking in pain and leaping up as Sergio kicked a pebble right at his pants.

Leone then grabbed the teen by the head with an angry grin, causing him to pale. "Unfortunately, I'm not there, just so you know."

"Mommy," he winced.

Sergio pulled out an old, worn, rusted dagger. "Wanna borrow my rusty knife to castrate him?"

Leone turned him down. "Nah, we need him alive and able to fight," she explained before sending Lubbock flying with a kick between the legs.

"Ah. A shame."

"Right, moving on."

* * *

Soon, they stood in a tall room with a large chair at the back and several inset tables along the wall, Sheele silently reading a book at one of said tables.

"This is the meeting room, where we have group and mission briefings," Leone explained, though to deaf ears as Sergio approached the reading purplette.

"Hmm? Watch ya reading beautiful?" Sergio questioned.

It took Sheele a moment to register his question before she looked up at him, her mind still enthralled in the book. "An old story."

"Oh? What about?"

"A man who loved a goddess and became a demon to save her."

"Ah. First Volume of the Demon King saga huh?"

Sheele's full attention was now on Sergio with surprise in her eyes. "You know it?"

"Yeah. It's definitely an… interesting story in my opinion."

"Yes. It is," she answered with a minute smile.

"Yeah. Reading it to better please Mein at night?"

Sheele's expression instantly dropped as she looked back at her novel. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sergio frowned with worried suspicion. "There's nothing wrong with you and Mein being in a relationship Sheele."

"I don't know what you mean," she answered robotically, turning the page as she read.

Leone laughed unconvincingly as she tapped on Sergio's shoulder. "We should probably go…"

"Don't you love her?" Sergio pushed, Sheele remaining silent.

Leone tugged on his arm forcefully. "Let's… go…!"

"Fine," he answered with disappointment, following behind her.

* * *

Leone sighed heavily as she walked with Sergio. "Geez… why do you always keep pushing people like that?"

Sergio retorted, "If I don't they'll ignore the issue and end up hurt."

"Right… Anyway, this is the river outside the base, and we often come down here to take a bit of a break or –" she began before stopping when saw a small camp with fire set up alongside the river.

"Let me guess… that campfire shouldn't be there."

"No…" she answered as she narrowed her eyes and snuck towards it quietly, Sergio following behind.

"There's no point in hiding, Leone," a silver-haired woman with a large, green, mechanical arm, wearing an eyepatch over one eye, and a tight, black suit that formed tightly around her generous bust. She raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh? And it seems there's someone new with you."

Sergio and Leone stood up and approached her. "Hmm? And who's this lovely lady?"

Leone blinked in surprise. "This is our commander, Najenda. We just call her Boss."

Najenda looked at Leone with an annoyed smile. "Speaking of, Leone, what have I told you about allowing new members without consulting me?"

Leone stiffened in worry. "H – Hey! This one's not my fault! It's Akame's!"

Sergio shrugged with a chuckle. "True. Though, the fact I'm a sexy man helped sway Leone here, Babe."

"Then I'll be sure to have a talk with Akame afterward."

"If you're the leader, perhaps you can tell me why two of your subordinates are having relationship issues."

Najenda frowned in annoyance. "Are they still moping about that?"

"Apparently. One's stuffing her face over it and the other is reading tasteful porn."

Najenda groaned heavily. "For the love of God. I told them to break it off and get over it."

Sergio narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And you expect it to happen just like that? You obviously have no experience concerning love."

"I have plenty. And love in a group like this only leads to ruin."

"You're wrong. Love is something that keeps you sane. Keeps you focused. Keeps you alive. Keeps you from burning the world."

Leone began trembling in fear.

"It can also stop you from killing liars."

Sergio frowned and argued more. "Oh? And how does it do that? Love doesn't get directed towards things one hates after all. But if one's love is in danger it will make you work smarter to ensure you save them and kill the one endangering them. Besides, with the way those two are I think you have something else to worry about."

Najenda retorted, "There are times those you come to love turn out to be different than you expected, and thus you must kill them, which love prevents you from doing."

Sergio's frown deepened. "And do you really expect that of Mein or Sheele? Are you willing to crush their happiness because your ex forced you into using an Automail Weapon Arm?"

"I expect everyone here to act as though everyone else is trying to kill them."

"In other words, as nothing more than murderous cutthroats instead of true Assassins."

"You speak like there's a difference."

Leone gulped in worry. ' _This is bad, he's pissing off Boss…_ '

Sergio nodded in response. "There is but I doubt you'd recognize so let's drop it for now. Leone is looking scared after all."

Leone sighed in relief.

Najenda frowned in frustration. "Your tongue seems sharp, I wonder about your skills."

Sergio raised an eyebrow. "Wanna test them out yourself babe?"

"Maybe some other time. I need to have a meeting with the others."

"Sure babe. Maybe I'll upgrade that arm of yours later too."

"We'll see," she answered sourly.

* * *

Sergio stood in the meeting hall with the entire group, and looked around them. "Hm… This is it? The only one among you that seems an actual Assassin is Akame."

"Oh shut it you pervert," Mein growled.

"Just saying."

Najenda put up a hand and asked, "So I assume you have all met this new person? Your thoughts?"

"Friend," Akame answered.

"Pervert," Mein snapped.

"Interesting," Sheele said.

"Handsome," Bulat said.

"Jerk," Lubbock snarled.

"Fun," Leone snickered.

"Thank you all for your positive input," Sergio snickered.

Najenda interjected, "So, now it's up to you, will you join us?"

"If I don't you'll kill me, so I don't think there's much choice involved. So yep, I will. After all, you'll need every bit of help you can get."

"Do you know Night Raid's goal?"

"Not exactly, but more than likely cleaning this city of the filth in it."

"This entire country. The Empire rules it with twisted evil and we intend uproot it. By killing each and every person who stands in our way."

Sergio flattened his brow incredulously as a bead of sweat fell down his face. "Do you not know what an Assassin is?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Najenda snapped.

"Assassins don't just go in and kill everyone making their presence known. They are masters of the shadows, infiltrating and bypassing the target's defenses, and then kill the target and leave without letting anyone see how they died."

"Which is how we handle our contracted kills."

"It's how you should handle all of them."

Leone laughed weakly. "It's kinda hard when the Empire knows most of our faces."

"Did you even think of _hiding_ your faces at least? Or wearing something to keep your identity a secret?"

Akame showed him one of the many wanted posters of the group, this one showing an image of Leone.

"… Was that before or after she joined?"

Akame then pointed to the line that read "Member of Night Raid".

"So after. Meaning she didn't think to cover herself up while on the job."

Leone flinched at the comment. "… To be fair none of us were trained as assassins except Akame."

Sergio groaned heavily as he scratched his head in thought. "Just great. So you're a group of assassins who don't know a thing about being assassins. I'm starting to see why this whole thing went tits up. Better start getting to work fixing this mess."

"What?" Najenda hissed.

"If I'm going to start working with you, I want you all to be powerful, stealthy, _and_ know how to be actual assassins. Not running around like kids shanking people with scissors."

Sheele gained a cloud of disappointment over her head.

Sergio waved a hand dismissively. "You're fine, Beautiful, I didn't even sense you coming. Basically, Akame and you are pretty much the only ones that can pass for actual assassins."

Najenda narrowed her eye annoyed. "I'm offering for you to work with us, not take command."

"That may be so, but you seem to be running things pretty shoddy. How many members have you lost doing things the current way?"

Najenda huffed dismissively. "That's not important. All that matters is accomplishing our goal of ridding the Empire of its tyrants."

Sergio's frown yet again deepened. "I would think it is. After all, you want to stay alive to see it and ensure another tyrant doesn't take control correct?"

"I merely want to bring that goal closer, if it costs our lives, so be it."

"And if it brings a new dictator or destroys the Empire completely?"

"That second result doesn't seem so bad, personally. As for the first, new revolutionaries will rise up."

"And thus, continuing the bloodshed. Which brings up a very important thing. Who here knows the definition of insanity?"

Akame raised a hand to answer.

"You don't count."

Akame lowered her hand.

Sheele then raised hers.

"Ah, the bespectacled beauty. Let's hear it."

Sheele nodded and then responded, "Doing the same thing over and over again hoping for a different result."

The others, minus Akame, remained silent at the implications.

Sergio noticed their reactions and smiled. "Bingo. And what you're doing, one-eyed beauty, is the very definition of it," he stated bluntly, causing Najenda to frown in displeasure. "Which is why I think you should all do your best to survive. That way you don't drag on the insanity."

Najenda remained deathly silent for several moments.

Sergio blinked in confusion. "… I think I broke her."

Leone tilted her head and walked up to Najenda, waving a hand in front of her face, resulting in Najenda punching her in the torso with her robotic arm so hard Leone embedded into the wall.

"Don't worry Leone! I'll fix your ribs for checking her."

"Th – They'll heal on their own…" Leone groaned before flopping out of the wall and onto the ground.

"Oh right. Regenerative properties of a Nekomata."

Najenda sighed and then demanded angrily, "Give me one good reason I should just blindly hand control of Night Raid to you."

Sergio shook his head in response. "I'm not asking you to hand it over. I'm asking you to take my advice and do things differently."

Najenda remained silent for several moments before sighing heavily. "… Fine. I'll consider your suggestions. If Akame considers you someone worth breaking the rules over then I'll at least hear you out."

"Good. So… What's on the hit list today?"

"Seeing what skills you actually have."

Sergio grinned darkly. "Goodie. All you against me."

Najenda responded with a no. "No, not in a fight. We need to see if you have practical skills useful to us first."

"Oh," he said plainly, disappointed. "Kitchen first, then."

* * *

The others gathered around him as he stirred several pots and mixed ingredients with intense speed, Akame and Leone drooling at the sight and smell, Mein remaining indifferent as she watched. Once it was finished he turned to the group with a smile. "Now, who's hungry?"

"Me!" Leone and Akame exclaimed in unison as Sheele raised a hand.

"Right then," he chuckled as he served out the food.

As Leone took a large bite of the beef and vegetables in broth, a shiver went up her spine. "So… ggoooodd…!"

Mein sat silently, looking at the plate of food and disturbed by Leone's reaction.

Najenda took a large bite as well and slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent whatever sound was about to escape.

Bulat was also about to speak but Sergio cut him off. "Whatever you have to say, keep it to yourself. Okay?"

Bulat merely nodded quietly and continued eating.

"Thank you."

"Che. Prick," Lubbock hissed.

"Akame and Leone get your share."

Lubbock attempted to swiftly down his, but Akame grabbed it right from under him and practically inhaled it. "Gah! Hey!" he growled.

"Don't insult the cook and you eat."

Lubbock's eyebrows twitched furiously.

Mein sighed and then took a small bite from her fork and blinked several times in surprise. "It's delicious…" she said quietly.

"Of course it is. Cooking is one of my specialties."

Sheele ate silently before handing her now empty bowl to him.

Sergio nodded with a smile and ladled more food into the bowl.

Najenda continued eating from hers and then looked at Sergio in thought. "So what kind of meat is this?"

"Hm?"

"What's in it?"

"It's Wyvern Meat Stew," he answered, causing the group to become stiff as the dead, Leone and Akame eating without a care. Sergio noticed the reaction and frowned in concern. "Is something wrong? Was the shredded Malboro root not fresh enough?" Yet again, Akame and Leone did not care as the others began turning blue. "Or is it too little Teagle bone marrow in the broth?" Sergio sighed as they all turned green with disgust, Akame and Leone still not concerned. "I knew it, I shouldn't have added the salt."

"That's _seriously_ not the problem!" the others shrieked.

"Really?"

"They don't like the meats," Akame explained.

Sergio was even more confused. "But earlier they said they liked the taste."

Sheele added, "It's the psychological aspect of such strange ingredients," as she continued eating from her bowl. "It is a bit strange but it tastes fine."

"You aren't bothered by this!?" Mein exclaimed in horror.

Sheele raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why should we be? I have eaten much worse."

Akame nodded in agreement.

Mein groaned in mild disgust.

Sergio simply shrugged. "I guess I just won't cook for them then."

The others became stiff as the contemplated their options.

"You should still be the one to cook," Najenda explained after a long pause.

Sergio raised an eyebrow in thought. "You sure? I'll keep using the same ingredients."

"Yes!"

Mein simply sat silently looking at the dish.

Najenda sighed as the others finished their food with worry. "Well we've seen your cooking. And as… unique as it may be, it's good. I wonder how you are with other duties."

Sergio shrugged. "I can do just about everything. I could patch you up. Fix you up. Start a business to get us extra money. Neuter Lubbock."

"How does that fit with the rest!?" Lubbock hollered.

* * *

 **Phew! That was a helluva start. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. Be sure to leave a review letting me know if you did, or if you were confused, unsure, or just had questions about anything. If you do I will do what I can to address your concerns. If you did not enjoy the story... sorry? Post a review if you must, but rather than just saying it sucks, a little sense would be appreciated. So, with all that said, until the next time, bye-bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

 **Greetings all! I am back with the second chapter of An Assassin's Second Chance. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the previous chapter, seems at least a few of you did, which is good. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well. If you do, be sure to leave a review letting me know. That said, I would like to thank Bakuto Masaki for his help in crafting this... thing. Anyway, enough blathering, on with the reviewer responses!**

 **hornofdesolation: You are still going to see that, it's just going to take a while longer to get there and it won't be Kazuma but Sergio. A lot of Chaos Pawn's story elements will be carried over into the stories that follow this one.**

 **superpeirce: And it's not 100% dead, a lot of what it did will be put into this new series, with stories following ASC. Yes, this happens before the events of Fairy Tail's Demon King. Though that story is getting the reboot as well once we get to it. The divergence happens when Kazuma got sealed in Legends of Chaos. Sergio didn't, he just chose to fuck off from history because it bores him.**

 **akilja95: Cool. Not all of them, but a very large chunk of them are being rewritten, and I'm working on a soft reboot of Gremory's Guardian, but you'll learn the details of that when it's ready.**

 **The Aura King: What don't you like about Sergio's attitude?**

 **Well, that about does it, nothing else to cover here, so on with the show!**

* * *

Najenda sighed as the others finished their food with worry. "Well we've seen your cooking. And as… unique as it may be, it's good. I wonder how you are with other duties."

Sergio shrugged. "I can do just about everything. I could patch you up. Fix you up. Start a business to get us extra money. Neuter Lubbock."

"How does that fit with the rest!?" Lubbock hollered.

"It's something that would benefit the group," Sergio answered bluntly.

"He's got a point," Leone added.

"H – Hey…!" Lubbock stammered, though everyone ignored him.

Sergio continued, "I am also very good in all forms of torture and a bit of an expert on the human mind."

"I see," Najenda responded, listening to him.

"And if needed I can repair or forge us weapons."

At that point she frowned in disapproval. "That's not necessarily true."

"Oh?"

"Each of us, the weapons we use are Imperial Arms, they can only be repaired by the one who made them."

"I know, which is why I'm offering to maintain them for you. And that arm your wearing is in serious need of upgrading."

Najenda was far from amused. "Are you stupid? I said the person who made them –"

Sergio interrupted her. "Was me, and I'm not stupid."

"You must be if you expect us to believe that."

"Akame," he called out, the girl handing him Muramasa. "See?" he proffered before stabbing himself in the arm with the weapon, the others all gasping as he did, the symbols of death spreading along his skin before immediately evaporation from him. "See? Made this thing to kill me and it failed spectacularly."

Najenda just stared silently.

Sergio blinked in thought. "I think I broke her again."

"I ain't doin' it," Leone remarked.

Shrugging, Sergio stepped up to Najenda and poked her cheek, causing her to reflexively lash out with her mechanical arm. However, Sergio's eyes suddenly flashed red before Najenda's passed straight through him. "Nice reflexes."

Najenda looked at him in confusion. "Hm? How'd I miss?"

"You didn't, I simply became impossible to hit."

"How?" she asked suspiciously.

Sergio pointed to his eyes, which were red with complex black patterns flaring out from the pupils. "My eyes hold very special powers. It's hard to explain, just call it magic if it makes you feel better."

Najenda just stared in confusion.

"So, you still want to see my combat capabilities?"

The silver-haired woman sighed and waved a hand. "If they're anything like what you've shown so far, I don't believe that will be necessary."

"Good. If you did, I'd ask for Lubbock as a sparring partner so I wouldn't need to worry 'bout holding back."

"Up yours!" the green-haired teen snapped.

"I don't swing that way. Your friend Bulat does."

Lubbock merely ground his teeth in frustration as Leone patted his back and remarked, "Just give it up," to which he just grumbled.

* * *

Later, Sergio and Akame sat on a cliff away from the rest, outside the compound. "Your friends seem to be taking my powers pretty well."

"They still don't trust you," she replied, looking out over the vast forest.

Sergio shrugged in response. "That's fine. So long as it gets the results you want, I don't much care what they think of me. After all, I don't need them to trust me to save them."

She frowned slightly in disappointment. "But… I want them to."

"Oh?"

"I want them to see you as a friend." Turning to him, she added, "So you have to stop antagonizing them."

Sergio sighed before shrugging dismissively. "Sorry. Just been awhile since I met new people."

"Huh?"

"It's been a while since I tried making new friends Akame. I'm immortal remember?"

"Ah." After a moment, she looked back at the entrance to the hideout. "These days still feel like yesterday in my mind."

Nodding, Sergio put a hand on her shoulder. "And it's going to be like that for a while. Once you get to this age decades pass like days. Which is why you should make friends with non-humans like Spirits, Goddesses and Youkai. They live as long as us, and they can help with the pain and loneliness."

"I see…"

"Don't worry. If your friends properly bond with those weapons they will become immortal. Sheele is well on her way already."

Akame turned to him incredulously. "Huh? Then how come she…?"

"Because bonding with it fully requires a last critical step."

"I see…"

"So don't worry, I'll do my best to ensure they reach that level. Though I am curious how Sheele met her end."

Akame proceeded to explain. "An Imperial soldier named Seiryuu Ubiquitous utilized her Imperial Arm, a large, shape-shifting dog, and had it devour her."

Sergio scowled at the explanation. "Disgusting. Sheele does not deserve such a fate."

"Unfortunately, that is the simple version of what happened. Mein saw it all happen right in front of her."

That elicited an angered hiss from him. "That just makes it worse. Mein saw her lover consumed before her very eyes. That's just not right."

"That is how the Empire is," she answered simply.

"Then it needs to be flat out destroyed."

"There are still good people under its thumb."

"That's why it needs to be destroyed. So said good people can crawl out from it."

"I see."

"Anyway, let's get some sleep."

Akame nodded in return.

"You head back first."

"Okay," she replied before leaving.

After a moment, Sergio turned around with a frown. "Come out. I know your there."

Najenda proceeded to step out from behind a large tree, her eye trained on him.

"Najenda."

"So how long did you know I was there?"

"As you were following her."

"I see. Well, perhaps now you can explain what's really going on here."

Sergio stood and turned to her before shrugging. "Simple. Time travel."

"I'd call you a madman if I hadn't seen what happened with Muramasa, or if I hadn't found this." She proceeded to throw that time's Muramasa, wielded by the Akame the other had killed, at his feet.

Sergio just looked at it before slapping himself in the face with a sigh. "Damn it Akame. Couldn't have disposed of the sword too."

"Since something impossible like that is the only way there could be two Muramasas."

"True. I'd never make a second one after the failure of the first."

Najenda folded her arms with a heavy sigh. "So you're seriously the First Emperor? The one who founded and ruled the Empire almost a thousand years ago?"

Sergio answered with a shrug. "One I founded by accident, more or less. I blame my helpful nature and need for people to have wield my weapons to see if it can kill me."

Najenda was now even more confused. "You founded it to die?"

"I'm immortal and have been around a long time. If you ever reach my age, death will be something you crave."

Najenda remained silent for a moment before laughing weakly. "Never thought I'd be talked down to in age by someone who looks younger than me."

Sergio returned her laugh with a rather boisterous one of his own. "The only thing old looking about you is your snow-white hair, Beautiful."

Najenda folded her arms with a smirk. "Really? Then how old do you think I am?"

Sergio looked her up and down in thought. "Hm… mid-twenties?"

Najenda's smirk disappeared with irritation. "Now I know you're joking."

The brown-haired man blinked in surprise. "Wait, you're not?"

"I'm in my late thirties, if you have to know."

"Damn. You look good for your age."

The white-haired woman sighed in mild annoyance. "Hopefully you're aware I'm not like the barmaids you're probably used to seducing."

"Trust me, if I was trying to seduce you, talking isn't what we'd be doing right now, we'd be in your room filling you with your first kid."

"Well you certainly aren't lacking in confidence, I'll give you that."

"Thanks babe. I aim to please."

"Also…" Najenda remarked before putting her mechanical arm at his throat with a scowl, "if you try any of that on my subordinates I'll make sure it doesn't grow back."

Sergio, unfazed, tapped a small segment on the mechanical limb, causing it to go limp, Najenda staring in disbelief. "I only do it if they want it. I'm no rapist. Besides, you're hurting them, not me."

Najenda looked at her arm for a moment before sighing as she wrenched it back into place. "If you turn out to be an enemy to us, I don't want them to have any reservations in killing you. If something were to happen even to me, that made me a greater threat than an asset to them, for the sake of freedom I wouldn't want them to hesitate."

"Even if all survivors but you are labeled as criminals?"

Shrugging, she answered, "If that's what it takes to rip this country from the tyrants at its head, so be it. We fight for the greater good, not for ourselves."

"And that is why you will fail," he chided, causing Najenda to glare at him. "What? It's true. You may fight for the Greater Good, but such a thing can easily be used to trick good people into ensuring the rise of a new tyrant."

Najenda narrowed her eye suspiciously as she listened.

"Before you ask I've seen it happen more than a few times. After all, once your life exceeds two millennia you start to notice patterns which let you predict when the next shitstorm happens. And with the way you're going, it's not far off. So perhaps you'll actually pay attention next time I suggest something."

"Maybe," she answered crassly.

"Now, let's head back. Oh, and for their sakes, it's best the others think Akame is still this time's Akame. And that she didn't brutally murder herself."

She just stared at him.

* * *

"A new day," Sergio sighed as he woke up the next morning, before humming to himself as he saw a plate of food sitting on the table, no one else from the group around. "Smells good." Taking a bite, he considered the flavor carefully. "Tastes good to. Who made it? Better ask," he said to himself before throwing the rest of the plate in the garbage.

* * *

Najenda rest her head on her arm in annoyance. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Seems one of your members tried to poison me. The food tasted good though, with the poison adding a bit of spiciness to it."

Najenda rubbed her temple in frustration. "Just great. So now we have to figure that out."

"Well I know it wasn't Akame, and I'd at least hope you're not stupid enough for something like that since you know I can't die. Sheele I doubt would do something like that. Bulat is Bulat so I doubt him. Can Leone cook?"

Without a pause, Najenda answered, "The last time she tried it looked like volcanic sludge."

"Hey!" the blonde snapped.

Sergio folded his arms in thought. "Which leaves two. The little firecracker and the pervert."

Najenda just groaned as Sergio turned his attention to Mein and Lubbock, the former of which just huffed at him.

"Anything you want to add Mein?"

"No," she answered sharply.

"You sure?"

She just jeered at him.

Sergio sighed in exasperation. "You know, if that succeeded I'd have thanked you."

"Even if it was me I wouldn't want your thanks."

"Right. Well as I said it was a good meal. So that leaves one person," he explained, turning his attention to Lubbock.

Lubbock winced before scowling. "Hey don't look at me! I was busy in the library! I mean you're a real jackass, but I wouldn't go that far."

Sergio frowned in thought before looking around the room. "Seems I was mistaken then."

"A little," Mein sneered.

"Seems the only person left really would be Sheele."

"H – Huh?" the bespectacled beauty stammered.

"Well everyone else has their reasons for not doing it. You?"

"I was in my room all night," she answered simply.

"… That's it? That's your defense? Was anyone with you?"

She shook her head apprehensively.

"Then that means you could have made and poisoned a breakfast for me," he accused, causing Mein to flinch as he continued.

"I didn't," Sheele responded bluntly.

"Oh? Then prove it."

"I have no idea to prove a negative."

Akame frowned slightly as Sergio continued, though chose to let him go on.

"Well if you have no way of proving you didn't do it, then I can't believe you. Guess we will have t –"

"Stop!" Mein suddenly shouted desperately.

"Mein?" Sergio remarked, offering her a chance to speak.

"Sh – She didn't make it, I did! Sheele can't even cook!"

"And that's the truth?"

"Yes!"

"Oh? Then prove it."

Mein tightened her fists with anger. "I – I… I mixed some arsenic into the food."

Sergio just responded silently with a pleased smile, though a rather irritated Najenda chided, "What were you thinking?"

Sergio waved a hand dismissively to her. "Now, now, Naj. No harm done."

Twitching an eyebrow at his candor, Lubbock snarled at him. "Don't call her Na –!"

"Zip it," Sergio snapped coldly, "the adults are talking."

The green-haired teen just growled weakly.

"So, Mein, care to explain why you did that? Obviously, it didn't hurt me. Kinda burned a little bit for a while but that's all."

Mein just sighed in frustration.

"Mein…" Najenda urged softly.

"I… I…" the girl trailed weakly.

Sergio decided to offer his own theory. "I am guessing you're scared of me."

Mein just looked at him with a frown.

"That's it, huh? Your scared I'll do something to you or take Sheele away."

Mein immediately went red, though with anger rather than shame. "Th – That's not…!"

"Then explain why you jumped to her defense when I was making a false claim."

She went stiff as a board.

"It's because you care for and love her." Najenda began to speak into the situation, Sergio cutting her off. "Naj, no. This concerns Mein and Sheele."

The silver-haired leader gave him a cold glare.

"And I doubt she'd tried to poison me if you hadn't interfered with their relationship."

"What!?" Mein suddenly howled.

Sergio turned his attention to the petite girl in surprise, not expecting that much rage from a small form. "What?"

"Is that true!?" Mein asked to Najenda with furor.

Najenda grit her teeth at the situation, feeling all eyes on her, before sighing in defeat.

Realizing the answer that gave her, Mein turned to Sheele in shock, the woman turning away from her.

Sergio looked over the scene in mildly faked surprise. "Well now, looks like there's even more sludge bubbling up than I expected. Guessing you had her break it off?" He got his answer from Sheele's fists curling bitterly. "And probably told you it's in Mein's best interest?"

Mein's eyes went wider as she saw the woman lower her head with shame.

Najenda rubbed the bridge of her nose as she felt a powerful headache pounding at her mind. "For God's sake, you always make things so damn complicated."

"You're the one whose actions started this," Sergio argued.

Sheele simply hung her head in silent shame, Mein silently looking at her.

Sergio, looking over the scene before returning his attention to Najenda, asked, "So, how do you wanna resolve this, 'Boss'? My suggestion is not to interfere with my underlings' love life."

The others just looked at him.

"What? Nekomata got your tongues?"

* * *

Akame punched Sergio in the chest with a fair bit of force, though he did not move from his spot. "You keep making things worse."

Sergio just raised an eyebrow and fixed her messy hair. "How so? Tensions may be increasing now, but trust me, these situations need to be resolved if you hope to see your friends live through this mess, and that they live happy lives. Things always get harder before they get easier, or something like that. So, don't worry."

Akame just stared at him with silent suspicion.

Sergio smiled as he patted her head softly. "Akame, trust me. I will save your friends."

"… Okay."

"Good."

* * *

The next morning, Sergio sighed as he leaned back in one of the dining room's chairs. "Hm… What to do today…"

"If you want to be useful," Najenda noted crossly as she walked up to him, a frown still firmly on her lips from the previous night's events, "we've got a contract."

"Oh? Who's the dead man?" Sergio asked as Akame and the others filed into the room behind Najenda.

The woman then put several photos on the table, one of a tall, hugely muscular man with one eye and another of a short, fat, wart-covered man. "Ogre, head of the city guard," she explained, pointing to the one-eyed man.

Sergio hissed in disgust at the man. "Ugly as a male one to. Any special way you want him dead? Poisoned, exploded from the inside out, head ripped off and put on a spike?"

Najenda sighed before shrugging. "It doesn't matter. He's been manipulating things from behind the scenes. Whenever a crime is committed, or some collusion is discovered, someone pays him to punish someone else as a scapegoat. Recently, Leone was approached by a woman with a letter and contract money to pay for his assassination. She explained that her husband had been unlawfully executed by Ogre to cover up the crimes of this man, Gamal," she paused and pointed to the warty man, "an oil merchant who's primary trade was with human trafficking."

"Gutting them like a pig it is," Sergio growled before his body was bathed in light.

Najenda, surprised but also somewhat beyond giving a shit, just looked at him before his normal clothing was gone, replaced by bandages wrapping around his entire body, a long, ragged green cloak draped over his form, and a metal, skull-like mask with glowing red eyes covering his face. She was not particularly amused by the look before she realized something odd he had said. "Them?"

Sergio, his voice now distorted and warped, answered, "Yes. I'm going to kill them both. And before you ask, yes, I can be in more than one place at the same time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have pigs to fry." Suddenly, a second Sergio appeared in a flash of light before swirling vortexes emerged around them both and swallowed them.

Lubbock stared at the spot where Sergio once was before turning to Mein in disbelief. "… And you actually thought you could kill _that_?"

Mein just huffed and looked away from him, before flinching as Sheele, smiling happily, walked up behind her and wrapped her in a hug. Mein remained in confusion for a moment before smiling as well and putting a hand on Sheele's arm.

Lubbock stared lecherously as his nose bled, Mein instinctually kicking him in the groin and knocking him to the floor. With a whimper, he attested, "W – Worth it…"

* * *

A vortex appeared in the air above a tall building, Sergio, still in his cloak, emerging from it and looking down over the city from above, illuminated by the lights of the night. "So, this is the Imperial Capitol? Pathetic. Now, to find Ogre and butcher him. And to show Akame's friends what a real assassin does."

* * *

In a rundown bar on the edge of the city, Ogre, clad in hefty, black and grey armor, accompanied by a small group of men in similar armor, barged in through the door, Ogre making straight for a table in the back corner of the room. He sneered at the man sitting in it before grabbing him the collar. "That's my seat, civilian. Now leave before I remove you!"

The man swiftly sprinted away, fear overtaking him.

Ogre huffed as he flopped harshly into the chair. "Barkeep!"

The man behind the bar, running to the man's side quickly, stuttered, "Y – Yes?"

"Bring me the usual."

"Yes, s – sir," the bartender stammered as he grabbed an expensive bottle of whiskey from the top of the backbar before a slender hand grabbed it. The man turned and saw a tall, busty, fair-skinned woman with long brown hair and bright blue eyes in a plain blue dress and black high-heeled shoes. Taking the bottle, the woman smiled warmly. "Mind if I take that?"

"H – Huh? Who are you…?" he muttered.

"You can just call me Sergia, sweety."

The bartended began to protest, but his eyes suddenly went stale. "I… yes, that's fine."

"Thank you," she smiled as she approached Ogre's group, her hips swaying overtly.

Ogre was talking with one of the guards when he heard the others whistling and saw Sergia approaching. "Well, looks like that idiot finally managed to hire someone worth looking at."

The brunette just smiled as she picked up Ogre's glass and handed the bottle to one of the other men to open, who was more than happy to oblige.

Ogre leered at the woman as she poured him a glass of the whiskey and handed it to him. "I think I know a better way for us to get to know each other."

Sergia blinked in surprised curiosity. "Oh? What ever could you be talking about?"

"How about you, me, and that drink head upstairs?"

The woman thought about it for a moment before nodding with a smile.

As the duo left and entered a room, one of the other soldiers huffed in disappointment. "The lieutenant always gets lucky."

"Yeah…" another lamented in agreement.

* * *

Ogre walked into the room ahead of Sergia, who closed the door behind her. "Now, let's just skip the talk and – …" he stopped when he turned to see her gone. "Where'd she go?" Suddenly realizing his situation, he reached for a knife in his pocket.

"Too easy…" a deep voice droned.

"Huh?!" Ogre snarled before turning to the voice, stopping just shy of seeing its source as he felt his heart compress before exploding in his chest.

"Death has come for you Ogre. Now die like the vermin you are."

"You…" Ogre groaned, turning his remaining eye just enough to see a hood with burning red eyes staring at him before he collapsed to the floor, dead, as blood oozed from his mouth.

"May you burn in hell." Dipping a finger in the pool of blood, he scrawled a message along the wall. "Death has come".

* * *

Leone sat at the table, eating a small bowl of soup as Sergio walked in, whistling a tune. "You're back quick."

"It was an easy kill. And the oil merchant should be dead just about now."

* * *

Elsewhere, another hooded Sergio held the severed head of the toad-like man before tossing it to a pack of wild dogs and sticking his finger in the corpse's blood, writing, "Death shall harvest the corrupt" along the wall before vanishing.

* * *

Sergio nodded to the blonde. "Yep he just finished," he proclaimed, causing Najenda to look at him incredulously. "You want him to bring back the guy's money and business contact info?"

"That would probably be beneficial," the silver-haired woman replied.

"Good that you agree, because he already looted the place and left a message."

"A message?" Leone questioned, batting at a toy on a string held by Akame.

"Yep. Written in the bastard's blood, letting all know Death has come to the Capital."

The entire room went dead silent as they looked at him.

The man looked around in confusion. "What?"

Najenda groaned heavily. "Well you're certainly not lacking in guts."

Sergio just chuckled in amusement. "It's all strategy my dear Naj. The best way to win is to make your enemy too scared to fight. Not to mention if a new assassin with a modus operandi far different from Night Raid's appears, they will have to split their focus."

"Death's focus is simply to kill and cause chaos, leaving behind messages written in his victims' blood, telling the corrupt that their deaths shall come next. So, unlike yourself with goals of bringing about revolution, they think I'm just out to throw a spanner in the gears. Thus splitting their attention. And in this game we play, doing so is fatal."

"Ah, divide and conquer. One of the oldest strategies in the book."

Leone raised a hand in confusion. "Um, so what's going on?"

Sergio merely chortled quietly. "Don't worry about it, Najenda and I will handle the thinking, you just keep breaking stuff."

Leone's hair stood on end in annoyance. "Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"You poked Naj the first time I broke her. Even I knew that would be dumb."

The blonde lurched back with a pout, unable to argue against that.

"Now that that's done, we can move on to actually making you a team of assassins, instead of one assassin and a bunch of brawlers. So get ready. Sheele, Akame, you both will help me."

Akame nodded in agreement.

* * *

Soon, the entire group stood outside in the courtyard near the base.

"Why'd I get dragged into this?" Lubbock grumbled.

Sergio, somewhat irritated, explained, "As much as I'd like to just let you atrophy in your room, the weakest link breaks the chain. Which is you."

The green-haired teen merely aimed his middle finger at the man.

"Now let's get started. First, I need to see how strong you all are without use of your weapons. So everyone except Najenda put them away."

Leone immediately raised a hand.

"Because hers is part of her body."

Leone immediately lowered her hand.

"Wait, I'm fighting?" the silver-haired woman questioned.

"Of course. Great leaders lead by example after all. And my belief is I would never send my subordinates to do something I wasn't willing to do myself."

She just frowned in confusion.

"Now, to test what you've got."

"How?" Akame asked.

"Simple. Finding and sneaking up on me. If I detect ya, I hurt ya."

"When do we start?" Mein asked.

"Right now," he answered before disappearing, leaving the group to stand in bewilderment.

* * *

Sergio sat at a table, reading a book when he felt two fingers against his neck. "Well that was fast."

Akame, standing behind him, put up two fingers and poked a spot next to her, revealing the real Sergio hiding.

Sergio frowned in mild disappointment. "Akame… you're supposed to be helping me train them."

Akame pouted slightly. "… I wanted to play too."

Sergio couldn't help but laugh gently at her logic. "Alright, well you're the first one to get me, so now how about you play a little subterfuge?"

"Okay," she answered with a nod before disappearing.

"Now I wait."

* * *

Elsewhere, Lubbock snuck down a hallway, quietly clinging to the walls before a rope trap suddenly snared his legs and hung him upside down like a piece of meat. "Wh – What the…?! Oh come on!" After a moment, a floating screen appeared showing each of their names, Akame's with a green check mark next to it, Lubbock's crossed through and greyed out. "Seriously!?"

* * *

Mein looked at the floating screen in front of her. "Well that's not too shocking. Wait, what is this thing?" She poked it several times as it simply floated in front of her. "It's like a floating window. Weird…"

Sergio's face suddenly appeared on it. "I wouldn't stand still like that."

"Eh?" Before she has time to think about it, a giant ball of slime emerges from underfoot and envelopes her. "Eek!" Her fear turned to anger as she saw her name get slashed out. "Damn it!"

* * *

Elsewhere, Sheele looked at the screen and hissed as Mein's name got crossed out and batted it out of the way before ducking under the swipe of a wooden dummy and punching its head off. "Damn it…" She dashed forward a bit and quickly found Mein encased in the slime.

Before Sheele could go to aid her, Mein urged, "Don't worry about me! Got sock that creep!"

"But…"

Mein, with some trouble, forced her head out of the ball of goo. "I can get free on my own!"

Nodding, Sheele headed down a nearby corridor, only to find herself suddenly frozen in ice, though her hand was outstretched enough to trip a lever that dropped a large boulder, shattering the ice and freeing her, allowing her to push on before a mechanical hand grabbed her by the ankle, tripping her. Kicking the hand apart, she looked around in bewilderment. "How many traps did he rig?" She was then wrapped in bandages emerging from the floor that held her in place, though she quickly freed herself with a needle in her pocket and kept going.

* * *

In a secluded room, Sergio watched several screens floating in front of him, showing the various members as they searched for him, though he had his attention focused on Sheele with a smirk. "Looks like Sheele saw through what I was saying. Good girl. She'll go a long way. Now… How long will the other three remaining ones last?"

He watched as Leone punched through numerous boards that continually appeared in front of her before smashing through a few training dummies that sprung up. "Holy shit he put a lot of traps!"

"She'll be down soon."

Bulat merely walked through and ignored or blocked most of the traps which proved ineffective.

Sergio felt a bead of sweat fall down his chin in disbelief. "Okay… wonder if the pit and quicksand trap will work."

On another screen, Najenda stood silent and still for a moment before leaping up to the ceiling and smashing it with her fist, reaching inside to the hole and pulling out several wires, rods, and gears, disabling the traps they armed.

Sergio sighed in amusement. "Geez…" Pressing one of the holographic buttons floating near him, Najenda's arm was suddenly yanked up to the ceiling by a powerful magnet.

"H – Hey! Damn you!"

"Now let's see what you'll do to get out."

"Tch, crafty bastard," she cursed as she tried to free her arm before pulling a pin out, causing her arm to detach and for her to drop to the floor. "I'm gonna kick your ass when I find you."

"That's if you make it."

* * *

Several hours passed as the group continued their hunt for Sergio, eventually ending in defeat as he looked over the defeated group. Leone bound up in a web of strong silk, Bulat stuck firmly inside of a large tub of syrup, Najenda trying and failing to stand from an ice-covered floor with only one arm, Mein still covered in the slime, and Sheele on the floor with Akame sitting on her back.

"Well… That was fun to watch. I'm disappointed none of you actually managed to reach me." As Akame began to speak, Sergio interrupted, "I already said you don't count. You were supposed to be helping me train them after all. I'm also surprised Mein hadn't tried eating her way out."

Mein, who was still pulling globs of slime from her clothing, hissed, "I'm not gonna eat this crap!"

"I thought girls like jelly?"

Mein quickly froze with a small sound reminiscent of a mouse, giving Sergio an expression halfway between shock and rage.

"What is with that look?"

"It's… jelly?"

"Of course. I'd never let an actual slime trap a girl. Even the Youkai kind. They get… curious."

Thinking about the implications to that, her face turned blue.

"Moving on, the one who got the closest to the goal was Sheele."

Leone twitched an eyebrow as Akame used a knife to cut the threads off of her. "But I was the closest to you when everything ended."

"Who said that was the goal?"

"You did!" she protested as Mein tasted some of the jelly and blinked in surprise.

"Did I? I just said for you all to _sneak_ up on and find me. I never said that was the goal of the test."

"Then why say that?!" the blonde growled as Bulat slowly pulled himself from the tub of goo.

"To see if you'd figure it out. Because if you'd paid attention, I said you couldn't use your Imperial Arms to get to me. And I think just about all but Sheele did use them."

Leone shouted, "No I didn't!" as Akame cut Lubbock down from the rope, his head dizzy from all that time upside down.

Sergio immediately looked at the belt around her waist.

"I didn't activate it!" she argued as Akame helped Najenda stand before giving her back her mechanical arm.

"But it gives you a boost in power even when inactive."

Leone looked at him, surprised. "It… does?"

"Yep. It also slowly transforms women into a Nekomata."

"Ah," she hummed in recognition before going pale. "… Wait, what!?"

"What?"

"This thing's gonna turn me into a cat!?"

"No. A Nekomata. Specifically, a Nekoshou, which can manipulate Natural Energy."

The blonde's eyebrows twitched as she tried to comprehend his words. "So what's any of that mean…?"

"It means in the future you're going to have permanent cat ears and tails. It also means you can use the energy from nature to greatly increase your power and sense where others are. Oh, and your breasts will get bigger the more fatty foods you eat." As soon as he finished that sentence, Mein scowled at Leone with a tic mark. "And Mein has breast envy."

Now the petite pinkette had two popping veins of anger. "Shut it!"

"Milk helps with growth."

She did not have a witty retort to that.

"Well the inspection was an utter failure. Only one of you managed to see what I was talking about. Just great."

Leone folded her arms in irritation. "If you wanted us to see the point then you should've said it."

Sergio smirked confidently. "Then what would have been the point in it?"

"I still don't know what it was!" the blonde snapped.

Sergio turned to the bespectacled member of the team. "Sheele, tell them"

Nodding, Sheele turned to the others. "The goal of the exercise was to get through his traps using tools other than our Imperial Arms, to not rely solely on them to get through situations. Getting to him was just the impetus of fighting through the traps."

Leone winced as the others considered her answer.

Sergio nodded and added, "And Sheele here did just that. Using everything around her, and on her person, to escape trap after trap to reach me. Not once going for Ecstasy. Though I will admit expecting her to get past Akame was a little much. Still, she did amazing. Though might have reached me if Mein let her save her from her jelly prison."

Mein gave a small mumble of confusion at him.

"You heard me. If she had back up, she'd have had someone to help her with Akane."

Mein just sat silently.

"Believe it or not, stopping to help an ally isn't always a surefire lose situation. It often leads to more good than bad. Got it? Sacrificing yourself doesn't always end well." Sergio then turned his attention to Najenda, who was in the process of reattaching her mechanical arm. "And that is another thing. Taking _off_ your arm and not taking out the magnet to retrieve it."

The silver-haired woman just huffed at him. "And would you have any ideas how to take out a magnet like that?"

"Cut the power. Do that and it's off," he explained plainly.

Najenda stopped what she was doing and simply stared at him. "… What?"

"Am I seriously going to have to explain how magnets work? Geez… Guessing your brains are in your tits. Anyway," he began, leaning to the side to dodge a large rock thrown by her machine arm, "they work by flowing electricity through a special piece of metal that pulls other metals towards it. So cut the electricity and it turns off. But since you didn't you decided it be a bright idea to continue disarmed." Sergio elected to ignore her snarls and turned to Bulat, who was busy wiping syrup from his armor. "And you Bulat should not just keep charging like a tank."

Bulat just shrugged with a smile. "Yeah, probably."

Sergio was caught slightly off guard by the plain reaction. "… Good. Lubbock," he addressed the green-haired man, who just turned to him expecting a verbal beating, only for Sergio to simply sigh.

"Wh – What?! Say something!"

"Anyway… quite frankly you all have a lot of work. So I imagine it's going to be a long process turning you all into proper assassins. Some longer than others," he added, training his eyes on Lubbock, who just flipped him off. "At any rate, that's enough for now, let's take a break and begin training anew tomorrow."

The others groaned in exhaustion.

* * *

The following morning, Sergio sat in his bed when he felt a tingle in the back of his mind and turned to the window of his room. "Hoh?" Though his attention was diverted when he heard a knock at the door. "It's open."

Leone rushed into the room in a hurry. "Get up. We've got trouble."

Sergio stood as he flexed his arms. "I know. I sensed them as soon as they got within two hundred meters."

Leone was unamused.

"Well, let's get cracking."

* * *

Sergio threw a man clad in white cloth and plain armor against a tree hard, killing him, before grabbing the sword from another and stabbing his partner with it as he punched the other man's face, killing them both. "Well this is boring."

Bulat, clad in elaborate armor with a large crest and a huge spear slammed another of the soldiers into a tree before carving another in half. "Yes, the least they could've done is sent some handsome men."

"I prefer women," Sergio answered as he swung a hand, sending a shot of energy through a man's head.

"I've noticed. It seems we can at least agree," Bulat paused as he smashed a man's sword before carving him and his two allies in twain, "that their selection of assailants is subpar."

"Indeed," Sergio lamented as he jabbed another man in the throat, causing his skin to shrivel as he collapsed, before hearing a loud scream nearby and rushed towards it, finding a surprising sight.

Lubbock stood in a tall cave, his wires wound and strewn across the various natural pillars, with his strings perilously hoisting a young woman with a lithe figure and dark skin, her hair silky black and her eyes the same shade of color, wearing hardly any clothing, her body covered in cuts from Lubbock's wires. The teen groaned in annoyance. "Of course I'd have to fight a woman."

Sergio looked at the woman in thought. "Huh. Looks like you caught a prisoner."

Lubbock huffed as he pulled on the strings, causing them to tighten around her. "Sorry, no prisoners."

"P – Please, let me go. I'll do anything," she begged to him.

Lubbock sighed in annoyance. "No can do. I knew someone who died once because of a woman's charms."

"Guess that was your libido," Sergio taunted before tugging on one of the strings, causing them all to go slack and the woman to drop, Sergio catching her before she hit the ground.

Lubbock looked at the sight in shock as his cables recoiled. ' _H – He can make Cross Tail slacken just like that…?_ '

Sergio frowned as he saw the cuts all over the woman's body before his hands were bathed in green light, the wounds sealing up swiftly. "Now you didn't need to go so far with her. No wonder you're still single."

"I seriously don't think that's relevant!"

"Well best lock her up and mind wipe anything she sees that gives away her location."

* * *

After the battle's end, Sergio stood in the main hall with everyone else, the woman unconscious by his side, Najenda just staring blankly at him. "I didn't break her again did I? Stringy, go wake her."

Lubbock twitched an eyebrow before Najenda interjected, "I'm awake you stubborn sack of crap. I'm just trying to figure out how you justify this," she growled, pointing to the unconscious tan beauty beside him.

"Simple. Information extraction. That and Lubbock's love of torturous bondage didn't sit well with me."

Lubbock attempted to get in a retort, but Sergio simply kept talking.

"And that is why I took her prisoner."

"So you did it to save her," Najenda groaned.

"Maybe. If you're worried about anything bad, don't be. I already mind wiped our location from her. I went as far back as when she had her briefing with her commanders."

"You can do that!?" Leone shouted.

"Yep. Anyway, later I'll get more information from her."

"And you didn't just do that before, because…?"

"The more time I spend messing with her mind the more broken she's likely to be."

"Right…"

* * *

Sometime later, the dark-skinned girl grumbled as she woke up in a room, lying on a bed, and looked around. "Where…?"

"Yo beautiful," Sergio greeted.

She tensed immediately and looked at him, but her expression contorted as she tried to piece together the situation. "Th – That's right… I was captured… but… I can't remember where this is…"

Shrugging, Sergio explained, "Nowhere important. You're lucky I saved you in time or else you'd end up turned into confetti."

The woman frowned in thought as she tried to piece her mind together. "That… man with the strings."

Sergio nodded plainly. "Yep. Though I think that's being a bit generous."

She just looked at him before asking bluntly, "So… what are you going to do to me?"

"Just talk."

The woman frowned suspiciously.

"Something wrong beautiful?"

"My name is Navera," she corrected crassly, "and I simply want to know what your true motive is."

"I just told you."

Navera huffed dismissively. "I'm not a fool. People only keep prisoners for three reasons. To interrogate, to ransom, or… to use."

Her answer garnered a frown from the blue-clad man.

"So, what's your reason?"

"Talking."

"So I'll take that as interrogation," she responded with an irritated sigh.

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "How? Would you feel better if you knew I wasn't human? I'm not like them, or at least, I try my best not to be."

Navera furrowed her brow suspiciously. "Then what _are_ you?"

"Hm… if I had to give it a name, I'm a demon. Though dragon works to."

"I see. Our people consider dragons to be the source of the myths of gods and goddesses."

"That's… a little dumb but okay."

"Huh?"

"The gods and goddesses are their own beings, they aren't just stories. Except Jashin. That one's… complicated."

The girl's entire body perked up with interest. "You know of Jashin-Sama?"

"… Ah." Sergio scratched his chin in consideration. "It's more like… I _am_ Jashin."

Navera just stared at him for several moments in thought before collapsing back and fainting.

"Why do they always do that? Oh well, I'll talk to her later then."

* * *

Sometime after, Leone sat in the main hall with the others when she noticed Sergio walk in. "Well, how'd it go?"

Sergio shrugged as he sat down. "She's a Jashinst."

Mein rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh great, those crazies."

Bulat rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I've heard of them, but they don't really have any handsome men, so I haven't paid much attention."

Najenda added, "The empire's greatest general is one."

"Oh?" Sergio asked, intrigued.

"Her name's Esdeath. She was born to a tribe of those psychos and was the daughter of the chief."

"I see. You know her well?"

"I used to. She's the one I have to thank for needing this damn contraption," she explained, pointing to her mechanical arm.

"Ah. Explains why you survived."

"Pardon?" Najenda retorted, annoyed at his reply.

"Jashinists don't kill their lovers," he explained, causing her to narrow her eye angrily. "What?"

The others just looked at Najenda in disbelief, whilst Lubbock stammered, "L – Lover…?"

Najenda groaned heavily. "Forget it."

"They don't know?" Sergio retorted.

Najenda angrily answered, "And they don't need to. All they need to know about Esdeath is that she is the enemy."

"Right…"

"Are you a Jashinist?" Sheele asked plainly.

Sergio shrugged. "In a sense. Does being Jashin count?"

The group just stared at him.

"What?"

"You get more irritating every moment…" Najenda grumbled.

"I get that a lot."

* * *

Later in the night, Sergio sat quietly in Akame's room with her, drinking alcohol while she ate quietly.

After a long silence, the girl suddenly spoke up, getting his attention. "Yes, Akame?"

"This… isn't turning out like I expected."

"Oh?"

A small smile on her face, she continued, "But… it's fun."

Sergio returned her smile and patted her head softly. "Good to hear you enjoy it. It comes with being an immortal powerhouse."

She just nodded silently.

"So, thinking of becoming a Jashinist?"

"No," she retorted incredibly blunt.

"Okay," he answered with a small chuckle before thinking. "Hm… I wonder if any of my contacts from this time are still around. Though it might not be a good idea to reach them."

"Okay…?"

* * *

The next morning, Leone was training with Sergio, large gauntlets adorned in long blades covering her hands as she chased and swiped at him. "Why do I have to wear these stupid gauntlets with knives on them?" she snarled as he dodged another swipe before tripping her.

"So you get accustomed to fighting with claws rather than brute force fisticuffs. After all, claws are a Nekomata's second greatest weapon."

"Hah?" she huffed, stopping her fighting momentarily.

"The Nekoization Belt turns you into a Half-Nekomata temporarily. So, to use those traits effectively, you need to learn to fight like a Nekomata, not a human. I'm sure you've noticed the changes already. The muscles in your legs getting stronger and more reactive, the bones in your fingers becoming denser. These changes aren't to make it easier to kick and punch, it's so you can run faster and grip things without breaking your hands."

Leone felt her head go cold as he spoke.

"So I have to teach you to focus on running around your opponent, swiping at their weak spots, rather than just charging in and beating them to death. Because that is in complete opposition to how Nekomatas fight. They also use magic to but you don't have the brain power to master that yet."

The blonde hissed at him.

"Sorry. But I'm pretty sure you'd fall asleep studying magic."

Her eyebrow twitching, Leone just folded her arms with a defiant huff. "… Fine…"

"Good. After this we'll get you a big dinner."

That lit a new fire in her eyes as she resumed charging at him.

"Hungry I take it?"

"She's always hungry," Akame explained, sitting nearby and watching.

"Understandable given her body is developing more and more. Now, let's continue."

* * *

Nearby, another Sergio stood next to an irritated Mein with a sigh. "You're not going to progress if you don't do the exercises, Mein."

Mein snapped back, "I'm a sniper! Why do I need to do strength training exercises?!"

"What happens to a sniper that gets cornered up close?"

"That's what a spotter's for."

"Need I remind you that you couldn't even fight your way out of a ball of green jelly?"

She just silently glared at him.

"My point stands. So get to work and eat what I make you."

Mein flinched back in concern.

Sergio, seeing this, put a hand up to assuage her. "And don't worry, I'm not petty enough to poison someone back. Not when I have plenty of reasons to keep you alive. Besides, you're too cute to kill, as well."

"Eh!?" she shouted, her face turning bright red.

"What? You are."

"D – Don't just say stuff like that!"

"Oh? Thinking my words will lure you away from your loving Sheele?"

"SCREW YOU!" she shrieked.

"Oh? But we hardly know each other."

Mein just ground her teeth ineffectively.

"So, just focus on strength training for now. You're a good enough shot with that gun that I don't need to worry about that just yet."

"… Fine…"

"Good. Twenty push-ups, twenty sit-ups, twenty squats, three chin-ups, and run two kilometers."

Her face turned blue in disbelief.

"After which you eat all this and start again," he explained, pointing to a table lousy with steaks and burgers.

Mein's eyes went wide in horror. " _All_ of that!? Are you trying to make me fat!?"

"No. You need meat on your bones to develop more."

"Huh?"

"And eating lots of protein whilst you exercise profusely will do that. So eat it all up and become strong, healthy and more beautiful."

Mein just puffed her cheeks defiantly, her face tinted red, and began the exercise.

Sergio just smirked before vanishing, reappearing next to Sheele who stood nearby, watching what was happening. "Not going to help her?"

Sheele turned to him, not reacting much. "Hm? No, not yet. She's still trying to resolve everything in her mind. When I originally broke things off I hadn't told her that it was Boss who told me to, so I'm sure she resents me."

Sergio frowned slightly and put a hand on her shoulder. "I doubt it. I think she is waiting for you to make the first move. And if you don't soon and something happens to you… it'd probable destroy her."

Sheele turned her attention back to Mein, doing several push-ups, and thought silently.

"She knows what I told her to do, and I doubt she'll ignore what I said, so I'll make myself scarce for a while," he stated before disappearing.

Sheele stood silently in the shadows before steeling herself and walking out.

Mein, finishing up the first round of push-ups, looked up in surprise. "H – Huh? Sheele?"

"Mein," she answered with a smile.

* * *

Later in the day, Sergio walked through one of the hallways of the base and looked down at the courtyard, seeing Sheele and a somewhat exhausted Mein leaving it, hand-in-hand, and smiled.

* * *

 **And fin! Thus ends the second chapter of An Assassin's Second Chance. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it, be sure to review it if you did. If you were confused, uncertain, or had questions about anything let me know with a review and I will address your concerns in the next chapter's reviewer response. Though if your questions are _extremely_ spoilery I would recommend a PM to get those questions answered, as I try to avoid giving out spoilers if I can. Anyway, if you did not enjoy the chapter, review if you must, but do try to have a point as well as proper understanding of the English language. Or, better yet, go and do something you actually enjoy instead! My sarcastic dickishness aside, until the next chapter, bye-bye!**

 **Navera is mine and Bakuto's custom name for the girl Lubbock kills in Akame ga Kill episode two.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

 **Hello everyone! This time I return to you with An Assassin's Second Chance Chapter Three! Hopefully everyone enjoyed the previous chapter, at least a few people did it seems. Hopefully you enjoy this one as well. If you do, be sure to leave a review and let me know. That said, I would like to thank Bakuto Masaki for his help with the story so far and into the future. Nothing else to add here I would say, so on with the reviewer responses!**

 **Travis Moon: They do. They suck hard (Bow chicka bow wow, sorry) at being assassins.**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **It's closer to millennia but centuries is close enough for government work.**

 **I hope it's as interesting as you think.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Anything's possible.**

 **Fire Dragon King: Desperation and boredom.**

 **It's not quite the same, but it is similar with our own twist.**

 **Well... Najenda kind of _is_ an idiot.**

 **Bulat's gay. That's your answer. As for Lubbock, he's just a fun punching bag, plus Sergio generally doesn't like men, period.**

 **Not many to answer here, but any at all is better than none. So on with the show!**

* * *

Sergio walked through one of the hallways of the base and looked down at the courtyard, seeing Sheele and a somewhat exhausted Mein leaving it, hand-in-hand, and smiled.

"So what are you – whoa!" Lubbock began to ask before gasping at the sight in the courtyard, right before he was punched through a wall by Sergio.

"If you want to peep, go find Bulat."

* * *

Elsewhere, Najenda sighed as she sat, resting her head on her mechanical arm when Sergio suddenly appeared from a portal. "Need to borrow this," he stated plainly before swiftly detaching and taking her arm.

"Wha…?!" Najenda grunted before she fell to the side.

"I'll be back later."

"Hey! You piece of shit!"

"You'll love what I'm doing I promise. Now to disassemble this old scrap heap and salvage the important parts."

"Wh – What!?"

Sergio swiftly opened up the machine and began pulling parts out.

"Are you even listening to me, dammit!?"

"Not really, no. Ah, there," he commented as he pulled out a large, glowing blue stone and several other integral pieces. "Will definitely need this li'l beauty. Right, that should be everything I need. Be right back."

Najenda twitched an eyebrow angrily as he vanished again. "… That bastard really pisses me off sometimes…"

A few moments later, Sergio reappeared, holding what appeared to be a human arm, despite the obvious mechanical attachment at the base.

"The hell?"

"There. And now… hold still while I add this on."

"Huh?"

Without answering her, Sergio attached the false limb to where her large arm had once been attached.

After a few moments, Najenda began moving the arm in thought, surprise. "This arm is…"

"Normal. Well, normal looking. It's automail with false skin over it. It's not perfect, but it does still have the same capabilities as your other arm. That being the grappling hook and all. So don't worry."

The silver-haired woman frowned in consideration as she looked at the false limb. "It's going to take a little getting used to. I'm accustomed to compensating for the weight of that previous arm."

"Which will be the focus of my training with you."

"… I don't like that sound of that…"

"I'm going to be helping you to fight with a now well-balanced body. Well, minus an eye, lest you want me to get you one."

"You can do that?"

"Piece of cake. I can even make it a hi-tech super eye. Or I can just make it a straight up replacement of a normal eye."

"Hm… I'll consider it. But what do you want out of it?"

"Nothing at all," he answered bluntly.

Najenda huffed dismissively. "I refuse to believe that."

"Then you do that."

"Because nobody does anything without expecting something in return, even if it is just personal satisfaction."

"Then it's a good thing I'm nobody."

"Hah?"

"Long story. Anyway, so, wanna start training now or later?"

Najenda just sighed, deciding he was not going to answer her, and shrugged. "Now, I suppose."

"Fair enough," he answered before waving a hand, Najenda and himself suddenly in a large forest.

"What the…?" she muttered, looking around in shock.

"This way, you and I can spar without breaking anything or hurting anyone. Because, of all the things I can tell about you, one of them is that you fight like a beast. Though with your lover being a Jashinist I can understand."

"Sh – She wasn't…"

"She was, or you wouldn't be standing here today."

Najenda just frowned with irritation.

"Now let's get started."

Najenda nodded and raised her arms, however she raised her artificial arm too quickly, knocking her off balance, which Sergio took advantage of, charging at her. "Wha – gah!" she grunted, realizing she was on the ground with Sergio pinning her down before she knew it.

"That was a little too quick."

Najenda stared in bewilderment silently.

"Something wrong?"

"You're fast…"

Sergio raised an eyebrow as he stood, helping her stand as well. "Really? I was going slow there."

She felt a growing level of annoyance with him.

"Ready to try again?"

"Obviously."

"Good."

* * *

After several hours of sparring, the forest they were in was filled with ash and craters, the landscape almost unrecognizable.

Sergio approached one of the largest ones and looked down into it, his eyes slowly shifting from red to his normal blue and saw Najenda lying in its center. "… You alive down there?"

Najenda coughed with difficulty, her clothing in tatters, and looked up at him with annoyance. "Yes… somehow."

Sergio just smirked as he slid down the crater towards her. "I have to admit, a supposedly normal human hasn't pushed me that far in a while. I actually had to use my Sharingan. So be proud of yourself and know you have gained some of my respect."

"If that would make me able to feel my legs it'd be great."

Sergio nodded as he held something in his arms. "I'll be sure to reattach them."

"Re… attach…?"

Sergio just laughed weakly as he hid the objects behind him. "It's… best you don't look down for a bit. I… may have overdone it just a tad. Don't worry though, I'm the best doctor around and a big meal of meaty foods will help restore lost blood."

"Ah…"

* * *

Back at the base, Najenda, now perfectly able to stand, punched Sergio in the head, hard. "Next time try not to amputate my limbs during a spar you dumbass! Unlike you I don't grow shit back like some friggin' salamander!"

Sergio, mostly unfazed by the blow, retorted, "All I'd need is a sample of bone marrow to clone you a new limb if I accidently vaporize one. Besides, you survived."

Whacking him again, Najenda snarled, "That's not the point you psycho! It hurt like hell!"

"You didn't notice they were missing until I pointed it out."

"All I knew is they felt like shit, I didn't know why!"

"Well I'm not changing how I do things. Do you really think she will stop herself from removing more of your limbs if it came down to a fight? Hell, she might chop off your legs so you don't run again."

At that, Najenda just turned to the side with a hiss.

"So ideally, I need to fight you at a higher level than her. Because if you can stand equal or even beat me in that state, then you can beat her. So I want to be clear for all of our future spars, Najenda, you have to fight like you're trying to kill me, because I will be doing the same. And unlike me, you can't shrug off fatal wounds. There are some wounds even I can't heal." Demonstrating the point, he peeled back some of the flesh on his left arm, revealing a mechanical limb underneath. "Human Transmutation inflicted being one."

Najenda blinked in surprise. "Your arm is…?"

"Yes. Just like you, my arm is false. However, unlike you, I wasn't fortunate in how I lost it. I lost it because of my own stupidity. Trying to do a forbidden art to flip a middle finger at death to bring back a lover. So. With that settled, consider earlier a taste of what's in store." With a sly smirk, he added, "Though if I do end up killing you I'll be sure to bring you back in a brand-new body. Maybe even a bustier and younger one."

Najenda huffed as she folded her arms under her already sizable bosom. "If these damn things get any bigger I won't be able to fight."

He raised an intrigued eyebrow at that. "Oh? But a bigger set would look great on you, and contain lots of milk for any babies you have in the future."

She huffed again, but this time with a greater disdain in her voice. "I guarantee you that won't be happening."

"Oh? Afraid of a little girl calling you Mama?"

"No. I mean it isn't physically possible."

Sergio frowned deeply at that. "… You want me to restore it?"

She just shrugged. "There's nothing to restore. I never had it. Or rather, not one that worked."

Sergio furrowed his brow in consternation.

"Now, I'm sure the others are done with the training you've given them."

"Probably…" he remarked, wanting to keep the focus.

"Let's go."

"Right. You know, if that thought of never having children bothers you, I'll help."

"It doesn't, now let it go."

Sergio sighed in frustration.

* * *

"I… can't feel anything…" Lubbock groaned as he laid in a heap.

Sergio frowned in disappointment. "You're alive? Huh. Go figure."

"I really don't have time for your shit. Go be annoying somewhere else."

"To do Naj it is," he remarked as he turned around, only for Lubbock to hurl a stringed bolt at him.

"On second thought, sit your ass there," Lubbock snarled, Sergio then grabbing the bolt as it flew in the air and tugged on it, sending Lubbock tumbling.

"Dumbass. Don't let someone bait you so easily."

"You… suck…"

"On a lot of tits? Yes."

Lubbock flopped against the ground in exhaustion. "I give up. You're too much of an asshole."

"Right. Good day Perverted Nerd."

"Piss off…"

"Right. Better go feed Leone."

* * *

Leone greedily gulped down a large plate of food, Mein watching in disbelief.

Sergio poked the petite girl on the shoulder. "You need to eat Mein. Or do you want Sheele to feed you?"

"I'm fine," she shot back.

"Really? You haven't eaten much. Sheele, feed her."

Sheele responded by picking up a fork and turning to Mein.

"H – Huh?!" she gasped.

"Say ah…" Sheele urged with a small smile, Mein stuttering in disbelief.

"H – H – Hey!" she stammered, her face deep red, Sheele taking advantage of her gaping and stuck the fork in her mouth.

Sergio smiled as he watched, Lubbock gulping deeply before Akame swiped some of his food. "H – Hey…!"

Akame just growled at him, Lubbock lurching back and letting her have it.

* * *

Later in the day, Sergio sighed as he walked down a hall. "Geez… Bored…" He stopped when he heard voices around the corner.

Mein gasped as Sheele spoke with her. "Hah!? Are you insane!?"

The purple-eyed beauty frowned slightly in thought. "No. I don't think so."

"I am _not_ doing that!" Mein argued vibrantly.

"Well we need to do something. And… I want us to have a baby and the best way to do that…"

"E – Even so…!" Mein argued with a hefty blush.

"He also helped us get back together. He's also kind and you seem to enjoy talking with him."

"N – No, I don't…" Mein retorted weakly, turning to the side.

"But you are so lively when you do."

"Mein," Najenda remarked as she approached the duo, shocking Mein so much that she shrieked and involuntarily leapt into Sheele's arms. She sighed in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Uuhh…" she stammered before getting out of Sheele's grasp.

"Whatever, I need you and Sergio for a mission."

"Huh?"

"We're out of food."

"… Ah."

Sergio, next to the group without announcement, stated, "I'll start hunting."

"Kya!" Mein shrieked again. "Will you people stop that?!"

Ignoring Mein, Najenda retorted, "No. We need you to go to the markets to get food from there."

Sergio retorted, "I'll get more, better food hunting."

Najenda nodded in understanding. "I'm aware of that, but this is our only method of getting an insight to the current state of the city."

Sergio sighed in annoyance. "… I'll send a thought projection to catch us some real food while I leave with Mein."

"You don't even need to buy anything, simply look around the city."

"Right."

* * *

Sergio sighed as he and Mein walked into the Capital city, Sergio huffing in disgust. "Hm… This city reeks. You could light a match and set it ablaze." He pulled out a small stick, which Mein instantly smacked out of his hand, causing him to pout. "That's mean babe."

"There are still innocent people here," she argued.

"I see," he answered before hearing a loud ruckus nearby. Rounding the corner with Mein, he saw a large crowd of people gathered around a group of others tied to crosses, crucified above them. The woman in the center of the group strained as she tried to break the ropes.

"Please! We're not rebels!" she begged.

Sergio narrowed his eyes with a frown and created a clone that stayed invisible as it ran towards the crosses.

One of the soldiers in front of the group huffed dismissively. "Oh shut it, we found one of their jackets in your closet."

"But it's not mine!" she begged.

"These assholes…" Sergio snarled.

"That's how the Empire operates," Mein explained plainly.

"Then someone needs to do something. Now."

Nodding, Mein replied, "That's what we're trying to do."

"I mean this right now."

Suddenly a shadow leapt from the ground and landed amongst the people hanging on the crosses, one of the soldiers gasping as "Death" swiped a hand towards him, the soldier collapsing as his body split in twain.

The crowd screamed in terror and dispersed, Mein looking at Sergio in annoyed disbelief.

"What?" he asked with faux ignorance.

"You're an idiot. Now let's run so we fit in with the crowd."

"Right," he answered before they both blended into the crowd.

Breaking off into an alleyway amongst the chaos, they stopped before Mein smacked Sergio atop the head. "Are you insane!?"

"Yes," he answered bluntly.

Mein just folded her arms and hissed away. "Tch, prick. You're lucky we managed to blend in with the crowd."

Sergio smiled and tried to pat her on the head, Mein swatting his hand away. "You don't blend in anywhere cutie, not with that bubblegum hair of yours."

She raised an eyebrow in confusion. "The hell is bubblegum?"

Sergio proceeded to pull a stick of pink gum from one of his portals. "A chewy, non-edible sugary substance that you chew and chew, and then blow bubbles with."

She stared at it curiously before swiping it and popping it in her mouth and began chewing it, blinking in surprise. "It's sweet."

"Yep. When you get tired of chewing it spit it out."

"I see…" she muttered, slightly muddled from the gum in her mouth, "where?"

He just shrugged. "Just look for a waste bin. Or Lubbock's chair. Gum gets sticky after chewed."

That caused Mein to grin darkly with anticipation.

* * *

Shortly after, as the duo walked down the street, Sergio noticed Mein standing still and looking down an alley where a group of children were fighting viciously over something, though he could not tell what at first glance, he was more focused on Mein's dull expression. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing," she retorted, her expression and tone of voice uncharacteristically placid before she began walking again.

He frowned in concern as he folded his arms. "Mein, you know I can tell you're lying, right?"

"I don't care," she snapped. "Let's just do what we came to do and leave."

He sighed with a shrug before joining her as she walked. "Fine. Perhaps you can at least tell me."

She stopped and turned to him with exasperated anger. "You really want to know?"

"Yes, I do," he replied bluntly.

She sighed and looked around before turning back to him. "Fine. I was born on the western border of the Empire. My father was a foreigner and my mother an Imperial. My mother orphaned me because I was seen as trash for having foreign blood. So I lived on my own in the streets until the Revolutionary Army picked me up, seeing as my father was from a country where they're known for having incredible eyesight, which I inherited."

Sergio put a hand on his chin in thought. "I see… interesting."

Shrugging, she continued, "So that's why I was given Pumpkin. There, that's my story."

He frowned slightly before looking around the area, seeing the people in the street. "Follow me."

"Um… okay?" she wondered before following him down an alleyway, at which point he snapped his fingers, causing a dome of energy that surrounded them before dissipating, making them invisible to anyone walking past.

"I want to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly and bluntly. Think you can do that?"

Mein frowned in concern and inched away slightly. "It depends on what you're asking."

"Right."

"So… what's the question?"

"What have I done to your contempt?"

Mein flinched and then began looking around uncomfortably before stammering. "… It's not… I don't… that's…"

"Mein?"

She stopped her flustering before sighing and clenching her fists.

"Are you okay…?"

"… You annoy me."

"That's it?"

"No," she argued, shaking her head. "It's just…"

"Just what?"

"Everything was normal, the way it's always been. And then you showed up and changed everything."

He sighed before shrugging. "It's something I do when I see things I dislike."

That got her attention, causing her to look up at him in surprise. "Huh?"

"Let's just say I have intimate knowledge of the problems this group has, and then I saw the way Najenda was leading her subordinates. And then of course I found out about you and Sheele. I just couldn't let that fly. So I decided to uproot everything."

"I…" she trailed off, unable to gather her thoughts.

"You can't really be unhappy I did that."

"In a way, I am. Because before, I thought that Sheele made that decision on her own. I had no idea Boss bullied her into doing it. And now…"

"You can't trust her?"

"Anyone… Even Akame's different. And it all started after you showed up."

"I'm just doing what I can to help Akame and her friends stay alive and happy."

"Why?" she asked, confused and suspicious.

"She's a friend and asked for my help."

She just stared at him incredulously.

"You're not buying that, are you?"

"No," she deadpanned.

Sergio sighed as he scratched his head in thought. "Would you believe that the Akame you know is from the future and she gained immortality?"

Mein just stared at him silently for several moments, before she suddenly began laughing hysterically.

Sergio just watched in confusion as she kept cackling. "Um… Mein?"

"Y – You're supposed to be from the future!?"

"Me? I'm from everywhere."

She stopped laughing and stared blankly. "… Huh? Wait, you're being serious…?"

"I've lived since long before now and have lived long after. So technically there are two of me in this time period. I think. Or he got sucked into a black hole or somehow absorbed into me when I wasn't looking or doesn't exist right now. You're still not convinced are you?"

"How am I supposed to believe something so insane?" she rebuffed.

"Then I guess I'll show you two pieces of evidence," he explained, causing Mein to raise an eyebrow in confusion before one of his portals opened up and the original Akame's body emerged along with her blade.

Mein's eyes shot wide in horror and disbelief. "Wh – What the hell!?"

"Proof."

"T – Two Akames…?"

"Yes. She went and killed her past self during that mansion job, then left her body to be eaten by dogs if I didn't have a Thought Projection follow her."

"I – I see…" she remarked, before narrowing her eyes as her thoughts raced.

Seeing where her mind was taking her, Sergio decided to cut her off. "She's not a fake. She is Akame. Just one that lived through this before. Seeing every one of her friends die."

Mein's face went pale. "She… knows everything that's going to happen…?"

Sergio scratched his head in thought. "Somewhat. She's experienced it before, but I doubt she remembers it in detail. Unfortunately while we Immortals are around for long periods of time, we rarely remember beyond just flashes."

"What?"

"For a human, a mortal, a flash in their mind, an image, represents and sits as a moment in time, maybe an hour, a day or two. For us, that same image represents years, sometimes decades. And she is a little over one hundred years old."

She just stared as her mind processed everything. "… Ah."

"Do you still doubt me?"

"I mean… it is hard to believe… but… there should only be one Muramasa…"

"Indeed. I only made one of each of my failures."

The pink-haired girl tilted her head in confusion. "Failures?"

"The Imperial Arms as you call them. To me, each and every one of them is a failure in the task I made them for."

"What'd you make them for then?"

"To kill me, and each one failed."

She stared silently for several moments before sighing heavily.

"What?"

"You're insane."

"And what makes you say that?"

Motioning around the area, she retorted, "All of it. The time travel, you being the First Emperor, making these weapons to kill yourself, and just how you act. You do things that ultimately help people even though it makes them hate you at times."

"So?"

"That's my point!"

"Ah. I don't really follow, but okay."

She remained silent in thought for a moment before looking up at him with tinted cheeks. "Okay, I'll make you a deal."

"Sure, name it."

"I'll… I'll try and be nicer if you… if you stop aiming to die."

He nodded with a small smile. "Sure. I gave up searching for a way to kill myself, so I have no problem with that deal."

She folded her arms and turned away with a huff, her cheeks flushed. "G – Good. Because if you died… Sheele would be sad…" She then turned to him with a stern point, though her face was still red. "I – I'm only doing this for her, ya know!"

He just nodded with a smile. "Right. And don't worry. I will do everything I can to ensure she survives."

"R – Right…"

"Now let's go."

* * *

Sergio sighed as he walked back into the base with Mein, the two having picked up a few vegetables, when Lubbock noticed them and commented, "When did you two get so friendly?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he returned.

"Mein doesn't look pissed off when she's standing next to you."

"Mind your own business!" Mein hissed as she threw a turnip at him, smacking him right in the bonce.

Sergio picked up a tomato and suggested, "Try a tomato. They splatter."

With a small snort, she argued, "I was more interested in causing pain."

"Fair enough. Then use this," he offered, handing her a coconut.

Mein looked at it thoughtfully and then hurled it at Lubbock, causing him to buckle in pain.

* * *

After putting away the few groceries and dealing with the food his Thought Projection had caught, Sergio sighed as he sat in the main hall. "So bored…"

"Well that's about to change," Najenda remarked as she walked up to him and flicked him on the forehead with her false arm.

"Oh?" he questioned, sitting up.

"We have a new mission. The Prime Minister's cousin, a corrupt diplomat who uses his position to turn the wives and daughters of his opponents into his personal whores."

"He'll be dead soon."

"That's the goal."

"Tell me where he is and he'll die."

She shook her head in denial. "This isn't one you can do on your own."

"And why's that?"

"He is constantly surrounded by all of his forced concubines as well as his elite guardsmen, plus his palace is packed to the brim with security."

"Should be real simple then."

"How?" she asked, frowning in confusion.

Sergio just smirked. "Simple. All that normal men see in women," he began before transforming into his female disguise, "is that they are weak and in need of protection. And with my eyes I can easily slip in."

Najenda was almost agape as she stared before just slapping a hand on her forehead. "… I… whatever."

Sergia chuckled lightly. "Something the matter my dear lovely Naj?"

"You get more bizarre every day."

"If this surprises you then you might die of shock later."

"Just… do whatever weird crap you're going to do before I have an aneurysm."

"Very well," she responded before leaving the base.

* * *

Elsewhere, two guards stood, very bored, outside of the front of a massive mansion, yawning as they did.

However, they stiffened immediately as Sergia walked up to the palace with a bright smile.

"A – Are you lost?" the first man stuttered as he looked her over.

She put a finger on her cheek in thought. "I think so. I'm looking for someone. His place I think is here."

The second guard frowned incredulously. "The only one who lives here is the Duke."

Sergia blinked in surprise. "He never said that's what he was."

The two men looked at each other before turning back to Sergia. "Fine, follow us," the first urged.

* * *

Inside, Sergia maintained her smile as she followed the men through winding pathways and hallways, ending up at a large room where a heavyset man in elaborate clothing sat in a large room.

"Hm? Who's this woman?" the man asked with a huff.

For a moment, Sergia's eyes flashed red.

The duke raised an eyebrow before smirking. "Hm? Ah, I remember now, you're the beauty I saw in the lower district, the one begging for a job."

Sergia merely nodded with a smile. "Yes, that's right. And you said you had one for me here."

Licking his lips, the man offered, "Well, why don't we begin your interview right now?"

"Sure!" she answered with an excited hop. "Where do we go?"

"How about somewhere less conspicuous?"

"Okay!"

The man then led Sergia to a room at the back of the large hall, and turned to one of his guards. "Leave us be."

"B – But…" the guard muttered, only for the man to send him a stern glare. "Y – Yes, sir!"

Sergia's smile turned malicious as the door slammed shut, the duke pulling off his belt with a smirk as he had his back to her, "Now why don't we –" he began before a bandaged hand suddenly thrust through his chest, his heart in its grasp.

"Fear the reaper," Death voiced behind the man before crushing his heart and swiping his hand up then down, chopping the man in half as his corpse collapsed to the floor. "There." Dipping his fingers in the pool of blood, he scrawled another message on the wall before vanishing into a vortex.

* * *

Najenda sighed as she sat in the dining hall, before turning as Sergio walked back in.

"Done," he reported simply.

"Good. Don't want to know how."

"Right. How's the new arm?"

She sighed as she flexed her shoulder and moved her arm around. "I'm still getting used to it being lighter. I've accidentally punched Lubbock in the face twice."

"Really? You sure it wasn't on purpose?"

"Not entirely."

"Then it's working fine."

"Right…"

"Yep. Anyway, anything else need killing?"

"Well his elite guard are up in arms."

"Oh? Because of Death?"

"Because they were put on leave whilst the regular guards were there and figured this wouldn't have happened had they been there."

Sergio snorted dismissively. "Yeah right. I'd have slipped by them as well."

"I'm not disputing that. I'm simply telling you why they're pissed."

"Ah. Is that everything?"

"There is one other thing," she offered before tossing a photograph of a beheaded couple lying in a pool of blood. "This happened during the night. It's been going on for a few days."

He frowned as he looked over the image. "Any ideas on who's responsible?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting for information, there's a few possible culprits."

"Like?"

"The most likely candidate is Zank, he used to be the Empire's head executioner. Oh, no pun intended."

"None taken. So, what makes him the main suspect?"

"Because of the absolute precision of their cuts. It's a bit gruesome, but look at the wounds on their necks. Not only are they perfectly straight, but they go directly between the vertebrae, allowing for an easier cut. It takes experience to cut that precisely."

"True. Or a very sharp blade and decent sword work. Though it looks like the victims were standing still."

"So the attacker was either holding them still or snuck up on them. And looking at the physiques of some of the victims, for the first one the attacker would need to be incredibly strong."

"Say, strong enough to lift a headsman's ax. Meaning the executioner. Though another possibility is that the victims saw no reason to move."

"Meaning it'd have to be someone who looks harmless."

"Or the person appeared harmless to the victim."

"That's what I said," she retorted, somewhat annoyed.

"No. I mean _just_ the victim. But to an outside observer the culprit is a crazed murdering psychopath with an axe to grind."

Najenda narrowed her eye in thought. "That would require an… it's Zank."

"How do you know?"

"He disappeared about a month ago and stole an Imperial Arm, Spectator."

"Ah shit."

"Do you know it?"

"It's the only one they seemed to keep the name I gave it, and yes, I do. And even I'm gonna have trouble with this shitheel. Okay, need a plan… I'm gonna need Sheele, Leone and Mein."

"Huh?"

"Someone to date, someone to play fake ambush, and someone to blow the fucker's head off."

"Fake ambush?"

"Of course. Someone needs to distract him so Mein can get the shot."

"Care to explain why you can't handle him yourself?"

"Because I made Spectator to counter the abilities of my own eyes."

Najenda sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. "… You are a dumbass…"

"I made all of the Imperial Arms to kill me. So naturally I made some that would weaken me allowing me to be more easily killed. All failed epically but my point still stands. So since I'll be about as useful as a wart on a hippo I'll need some help. Thus the team."

"Fine. Just don't get them killed."

"I'm here to ensure they don't, remember?"

Najenda winced slightly and turned away, her cheeks warming up slightly. "Yes, I do, it's a force of habit."

He noticed this but said nothing about it. "Do you say that before every mission?"

"Normally just to myself."

"Does it help?"

She shrugged in response. "I have no idea. But it keeps me from pulling my hair out."

"I see. You should let it grow out."

She huffed dismissively at the idea. "I did once. It's partly why I wasn't able to get away with both of my arms."

He nodded in understanding. "Ah. Well, least she let you live. Shows she loves you."

"That's a fucked up way to show love."

"Jashinists never kill their lover. Even if said lover rips out their heart."

She shot a small hiss at him. "Tch. She's the crazy bitch who decided to be loyal to those psychos."

"Which is very unusual."

"It's to be expected with her. All she cares about is who's the strongest."

"Then she should have gutted those in charge by now."

"She was always like that, but she got even crazier after she got her Imperial Arm."

Sergio raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Really? I never made one that induced insanity."

Najenda just shrugged her shoulders. "She said it was a vase with the blood and soul of a dragon inside. Drinking it gave her control over ice."

Sergio's jaw dropped to the floor before he slapped himself in the face so hard his hand almost went through his head. "That's not an Imperial Arm, it's a fucking prison!"

"Huh?" she muttered, surprised by his sudden anger.

"I sealed the soul of a dragon inside of it! It's a prison, not a fucking weapon! What braindead sack of shit came up with this!? I mean come on! I even put a do not touch this you fucking moron sign on it! Your girlfriend, who is she and where is she?"

His reaction plus that information shocked her even further. "L – Last I checked, Esdeath was on a campaign to take over the northern countries…"

Sergio snarled in frustration. "Just fucking great. Guess it'll have to wait then." He then focused his attention on Najenda. "I want you to know the one who did that to you wasn't your girlfriend. There's an extremely powerful Ice Dragon that I trapped in that urn. By drinking the blood inside, it's possessed her. Magnifying the darker aspects of her to the point she'd blindly follow monsters she was sworn to butcher like pigs. All to satisfy that bastard's obsession for death and power. And attempt at once again reviving his master."

Najenda frowned in deep confusion, and decided to focus on what part of that she could understand. "Is it possible you could be more specific than that? Last I checked dragons don't exist, aside from the rare 'Dragon-Type' Danger Beast."

Sergio just huffed with insult. "We exist. And those things are just over grown lizards that dare to try and be dragons. Put two upstarts in their place and made them into weapons too."

Najenda raised an eyebrow in thought. "I'm assuming one of those is Incursio?"

"Bingo, and unlike the Imperial Arms, that jar was a prison, not a weapon, as I said. So I'll need to wait until your girlfriend gets back. And see about thawing the north later."

* * *

Later on, inside the city after night had fallen, Sheele and Sergio walked the streets quietly, Sergio just humming in thought as he looked around.

After a few moments of silence, Sheele asked timidly, "So… why'd you choose me?"

Glancing at her then back to his surroundings, he answered plainly, "Hmm? Because you are the most dateable."

She was surprised by that answer enough that she stopped in her tracks and turned red as she sputtered, "Wh – Wh – What!? B – But I'm not…!"

"But you are."

"But… I'm so clumsy…" she lamented.

Sergio turned to her with a shrug. "So? It's just part of who you are."

"Huh…?" she muttered, looking up at him in surprise.

"What?"

"You… don't mind?"

He shook his head in denial. "I'm not bothered by stuff about people they can't change. What I don't like is when they _won't_ change."

"Ah…"

"Anyway, so, what should we do? Most of the shops are closed, since it's night."

"How about… just walking?"

Sergio blinked in thought before nodding. "Sounds good to me." As they moved, Sergio decided to change the subject. "Say, Sheele. You certainly don't seem like you fit in with the rest of the group."

"Huh?"

"You're sweet, soft, and seem to generally want to avoid killing people."

"Ah…"

"Though I suppose you did sneak up on me and snipped my head off. So that much makes you fit in just a little."

"Well, to tell you the truth this is first place I've fit in at all."

"Oh?" he wondered with interest.

"I've always been clumsy. Uselessly so. I tried to work at my family's restaurant, but I was always stumbling, tripping, and breaking things. Eventually it got so bad they kicked me out."

He started to grow a frown as he listened to her.

"So I lived on the streets doing what I had to in order to get by," she added, causing Sergio's frown to deepen. Seeing this, her face immediately turned red again. "I – I didn't do anything like that! I – I just begged, that's all!"

"Ah."

"A – Anyway, after a while, a friend I had made took me in and allowed me to live with her. I tried working in her restaurant, but it went about as well as you'd expect. However, she didn't care. She didn't mind that I was clumsy, inarticulate, and couldn't really do much of anything without messing it up."

"Sounds like a good friend."

"That's what I thought too. Then one day her ex-boyfriend showed up at her restaurant and attacked her. I simply moved on instinct and next thing I knew he was on the floor dead. She looked at me like I was a monster and kicked me out."

That got a deep frown out of him.

"Turns out her ex was part of a gang, and a few days after she kicked me out they found me. I don't quite remember everything, but they all ended up dead."

Sergio folded his arms in thought. "I see… she probably kicked you out to try and protect you from the fall out."

"I doubt that. She looked absolutely terrified of me."

"For you, maybe."

"I see…"

"Let's just enjoy our walk."

She nodded with a smile.

* * *

The two spent quite a while walking through the streets of the city talking before Sergio suddenly went stiff.

Sheele was confused and looked on ahead, seeing nothing.

Sergio, however, saw a young girl with an elaborate dress and wavy blonde hair run down an alleyway. "… N – No way…"

"Hm? Sergio?" Sheele asked before he just dashed off after the girl. "H – Hey!"

* * *

On a rooftop nearby, Mein hissed as Sergio dashed off. "What's that asshole doing?"

Leone frowned as she sat next to Mein.

The pink-haired girl then looked to Leone. "Why don't you get going? I mean he just left Sheele by herself."

"Right," the blonde replied before leaping away.

* * *

Back on the ground, Sheele rounded the corner and paled when she saw Sergio standing opposite a man with wild hair and an immensely muscular build. "Sergio! That's Zank!"

Sergio shook his head as his eyes turned red, right before they reverted to normal and he was struck with a headache that brought him to his knees. "Fuck! Dumb idea!"

Zank cackled and charged at Sergio with his blade arced.

Sergio snarled and reached out to catch it, only for Sheele to cut in with her scissors and block the strike.

"Eh?" the crazed man grumbled before the green, eye-like object atop his head glowed, giving him a view underneath Sheele's dress.

Recognizing the glow, Sergio hissed as he stood up. "You're dead." ' _I can't use my Sharingan, otherwise it'll bounce off the Spectator… Guess I'll go the old fashion way._ ' He then stuck out a hand and held Sheele back as Zank leapt away. "Sheele, get back, I'll handle him."

She looked at him worried. "But your eyes…"

"They aren't my only means of combat, so don't worry," Sergio answered as he flexed his neck, the shadows at his feet beginning to shift and swirl as thick tendrils rose up from the ground, covered in eyes and razor-toothed mouths.

"Die!" Zank howled as he rushed at Sergio once more, Sergio raising his arm at the strike. Zank grinned, only for his eyes to widen when he saw Sergio's arm coated in black harder than diamond and leapt back.

Sergio did not give him quarter and punched him hard, sending the man slamming against a wall before extending his fingers, spear-like extensions emerging and pinning Zank to the wall. "Now then… so first you use the image of my precious Elize, and then you look through Sheele, so I've got a lot planned for you crapstain." He grinned maniacally as the mouths on the shadowy tendrils opened. "Quite a lot planned." He then put his free hand on the microphone in his ear. "Can you two hear me? Change of plans, I'm taking this guy myself. I'm going to make him suffer." The shadows began swirling and merging, rising up into the shape of a massive, bipedal dragon behind Sergio. "So don't come near."

Zank snarled and slammed his fists back, breaking the wall and freeing himself of the spears, Sergio just huffing before charging at him. Zank was about to taunt Sergio once more, only for Sergio to immediately be in front of him with blinding speed and slam a fist into his face, sending Zank crashing through several buildings.

"Wow…" Sheele muttered as she watched.

Sergio rushed to Zank's position, grabbed him up, and then slammed him into the ground.

Zank stood weakly, bleeding profusely as he snarled. "I'm going to…"

The shadowy dragon grabbed Zank up in its grasp and began crushing him.

"Shut up is what you'll do," Sergio huffed.

Zank widened his eyes as he coughed blood before smiling.

That caught Sergio's attention. "What?"

"I… don't hear them anymore…"

Sergio listened to him and just sighed, having the dragon drop him before Sergio picked up Zank's cleaver.

"Those innocent people… I don't hear their screams anymore… thank you…"

Sergio just swung the weapon down, decapitating him in a swift motion. "Just another victim…" he sighed as he pulled Spectator off Zank's corpse.

"Another victim?" Mein asked as she and the others walked up to him.

"Of this decrepit city."

"Hah?" Mein huffed, tilting her head in bewilderment.

"My best guess, he'd been driven mad by all the innocent people he was forced to kill, the people he knew were innocent, and thus he snapped and went on a rampage."

"Well all he did was add to his body count."

"Not necessarily," Sergio replied as he stuffed Spectator in his pocket.

"What?"

"I've had a few Thought Projections looking into his 'victims' from the past few days. Like that couple he killed the other night. The woman had a habit of collecting 'trophies' from the men she got with, and the man was a convicted rapist who'd just gotten out of prison. Meaning he was doing his job in his insanity. He was executing scum."

The others just stared at him in silence for several moments before Leone remarked slowly, "L – Let's get back home."

* * *

Najenda looked up from a report she was reading as Leone approached her. "Well?"

Leone shrugged before sighing heavily. "It's done. And I'm not sure what Zank showed him, but Sergio got pissed and beat him half to death."

"I see…"

"And I don't know what happened next, but the battle only lasted a few seconds. Then Sergio started going on about Zank still doing his job or something."

"Huh?"

Mein added, "He said that Zank had been going around killing evil people after having been forced to kill innocents."

"I see…"

Mein just shrugged dismissively. "Well, something like that."

Najenda pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Whatever, I'm just glad it's done. Dismissed."

* * *

Sergio looked over the mechanical eye he had ripped from Zank as Lubbock walked up to him, confused. "So what's that thing do?"

Sergio answered bluntly, "It's called Spectator. Figure it out."

Lubbock just huffed in return.

Sighing, Akame changed the direction of the conversation. "So what do you plan on doing with it?"

"See if one of the girls can use it," Sergio answered.

Akame furrowed her brow in thought. "As far as I'm aware, each person can only use one Imperial Arm at a time."

"Then let's test that, shall we?"

* * *

In the mess hall, Leone ate swiftly out of a large plate of food, seemingly unaware of Sergio sneaking up on her, whom swiftly slapped Spectator on her forehead. Leone looked up at her forehead, as best she could, in confusion. "Huh?" she mumbled before receiving a powerful shock, after which Spectator bounced off and landed on the table.

Sergio frowned in thought. "Nope. Not her."

* * *

Sergio slowly snuck up on Mein as she carried a small stack of books, sighing as she too was rejected, and subsequently zapped, by Spectator. "Not the Tsundere either." He then hummed in thought as he put a hand on his chin. "Hm…" He then noticed Sheele standing nearby, confused. "Oh hey Sheele." After looking at the bespectacled beauty in thought, he reached out the weapon. "Sheele, wanna try Spectator on?"

She tilted her head before nodding. "Okay." Without another word she strapped the strange device to her forehead.

That caused the brunette to blink in surprise. "Huh."

"So what do I – hhyyaa!" she shrieked before turning away and covering her eyes.

"See something?"

She just pointed at him. "B – B – Big!"

"Like what you see then?" he retorted with a smirk, Sheele just standing silently. "I'll take that as a yes."

"H – H – How do I turn it off!?" she stuttered, vacillating between covering her eyes and looking at Sergio.

"Just think it."

Slowly moving her hands from in front of her eyes, she sighed in relief, her face still red.

"Want another look?"

"N – N – No thanks!" she shouted before running off.

"What did you do?" Najenda grumbled, walking up to him.

"Sheele used Spectator and saw my dick," he answered flatly.

Najenda just stared at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"Good god you're insane…"

"How?"

"Nothing… forget it…" she groaned before walking off.

"Okay?"

* * *

Sitting on a bed with Sheele, Mein gaped in disbelief. "Y – You're kidding…"

"I – I'm not… really…" the bespectacled woman stuttered shyly.

Mein gulped before raising her hands some distance apart. "… D – Does that… even fit…?"

"Does what fit?" Leone asked, standing nearby, causing Mein to once again shriek in terror.

"Wh – When'd you get here?!"

"Just now," she remarked before hopping on the bed with the other two, grinning. "What are we talking about?"

"N – None of your business!" Mein stuttered, though Sheele ended up answering weakly.

"S – Sergio's… his…"

Leone gaped before grinning and patting Mein on the back. "Whoa! Really?! I didn't know you were such a grown-up Mein!"

The pinkette hissed before kicking at Leone, though the blonde dodged it.

"Nice high kick!" She was immediately distracted when she noticed a red dot on the wall and just blinked in confusion for a moment before everything in her trembled and she instantly chased after it.

Mein just stared in disbelief before Sheele sighed.

* * *

Leone walked around the common area with annoyance.

"What's wrong?" Sergio asked, walking up to her.

"I want that green eye thingy," she retorted.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Spectator, or whatever it's called."

Sergio raised an eyebrow, confused. "Wanna shock yourself again?"

"No!" she shot back. "Sheele said she saw something really good with it."

Sergio shrugged in response. "If you want to see it just ask."

Before the blonde could say anything else, a very annoyed Najenda snapped, "Could you not do that in the common area?"

Sergio raised an eyebrow to her. "Why? Losing my pants is a common thing for me."

"Urgh…" Najenda groaned before turning to Leone. "Just go."

Leone frowned before leaving, after which Sergio turned to Najenda, curious. "So do you guys have any goal beyond just toppling the Empire?"

Najenda answered plainly, "Collecting the Imperial Arms."

Sergio folded his arms as he retorted, "Other than my failed projects which I will put in one of my vaults each time we reclaim one."

Najenda frowned before shaking her head. "I can't allow that. They are the greatest weapon we have against the Empire. Part of the agreement between us and the Revolutionary Army is that, in return for our funding, we give them any and all Imperial Arms we collect that we ourselves can't use. The more we have the better our chances of defeating the Empire decisively."

Sergio scowled with unhidden disgust. "Sounds to me like they just want power."

Najenda just shrugged. "I'm not denying that. But their power transmits to being our power. We can't take out the Empire alone."

"I've toppled plenty with a group this big. I've even toppled a few on my own."

Najenda frowned slightly, incredulous. "And you think you could do that to this one?"

"Potentially, yes. But I would simply cut off one head for two more to take its place. Which is also what it sounds like your group is doomed to do. My goal is to destroy the heart. And once the heart is destroyed, there's nothing left to pump the venom."

Najenda remained silent, though she narrowed her eye.

"What?"

"So what would you suggest?"

"Simple. We gut the nobility and the current leadership completely out of the Empire."

Najenda again remained silent, folding her arms as she remained deep in thought for several moments before looking at Sergio uncertainly. "… I'll make you a deal."

"Sure."

"You promise to keep my subordinates alive and let me handle talking with the RA, and I'll let you handle the missions from now on."

"Deal."

With a finger pointing to him, Najenda added, "But remember, if they're here, I'm still Night Raid's leader."

That elicited a mischievous grin from the man. "But of course."

Najenda narrowed her eye decisively. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing at all," he answered, just smiling innocently.

* * *

"Hah!?" Lubbock hollered in disbelief.

Akame just remained silent, smiling subtly.

"I don't have a problem with that," Bulat commented.

"I figured as much," Sergio retorted.

Najenda then addressed the rest. "Mein? Sheele? Leone?"

"Fine by me," Leone remarked with a shrug.

"I agree," Sheele added.

"Sure," Mein answered before suddenly turning her head with a huff. "Th – Though not because I like _you_ being the new leader, I just don't care!"

Sergio just smiled in amusement. "Tsun-Tsun. So much Tsun-Tsun in this one it's adorable."

"Sh – Shut up!" the twintailed girl sputtered.

"I can see why Sheele is in love with you."

Mein had no response to that, her voice just squeaking silently.

Leone grinned in amusement and was about to tease her when she once again saw the red dot moving along the floor and growled. "There's that damn thing again!" she snarled before chasing after it.

Lubbock gaped in disbelief. "… Did that just happen…?"

Sergio quickly stuffed a small object in his pocket. "Well she is becoming a Nekomata."

Mein grinned maliciously as she snuck up behind Sergio and took the small object, a laser pointer.

* * *

Later in the day, Mein sat, reading a book about cats as Leone laid, passed out on the sofa, Sheele sitting behind Mein, brushing her hair. "What's that for?"

"Finding ways to humiliate Leone," Mein retorted plainly as she read.

Sheele pouted slightly. "That's quite mean."

"Payback's a bitch, Sheele. And I'm due to dish some out."

* * *

 **And thus ends the third chapter. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, be sure to let me know if you did with a review. If you were confused, unsure, or simply have questions on anything, leave them in a review and I will do what I can to address them in the next chapter's reviewer response. If your question involves characters that have yet to appear or future story events (I.e. spoilers) I doubt you will get a satisfactory answer this way, as I try to avoid spoilers for readers who do not want to see them, so I would recommend a PM for those types of queries. If you did not enjoy the chapter, review if you must, but please try and have a proper grasp of the English language and to have a general point beyond just picking nits, or better yet, do something you actually enjoy instead! Also, before anyone says anything, I'm aware of the Gary Stuish nature Sergio has, and that is kind of the point. Plus this story is really just set up for the stories to follow. Anyway, that nonsense aside, until next time, bye-bye!**


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